Lady of the Wall
by nessapasimio9
Summary: Being a bastard child is never pleasant. Luckily for Dimeria, she's been spared from that life. Raised on The Wall, Dimeria lives contently as a watchman (watch-woman?). But when a new recruit comes in, her life turns upside down, and she soon realizes there's so much more to her life than she's ever known. Who's child is she? And what does that mean for her, and all those around?
1. Chapter 1

_**Lady of the Wall**_

"Get the damned thing out of my sight!"

"But, my king, do you not want to see your daughter?"

"I have a daughter already…and a son! I need not see another child."

The lowly maid looked down at the small, newborn baby. Not even 2 days old yet, and the poor child had nowhere to go, for her mother had died during labor. She looked up at the king with the sleeping infant in her arms.

"But what shall I do with her?" She whimpered quietly.

"She is a bastard child! Why should I care…" He bellowed down at her. Things were complicated enough; the great king did not need the struggles of a bastard child he conceived with a whore. With the woman dead, it would be easy to cover up his affair from his real wife; who only a year earlier gave birth to his other daughter, but now with this child, everyone would know. The petite maid still knelt before him, holding his daughter close. With a calming sigh he spoke to her,

"Take her away. Get her out of the kingdom, no one must know of this."

"Yes, your grace." The maid replied quietly. She stood up to leave, but paused and said,

"Would you name your child, your grace?"

The king thought for a moment. Why should he name her? After all, he wasn't even claiming the child as his own.

"I shall keep her first name with my own lineage…she is one of mine after all, but her last name cannot be the same. It will be that of her mother's. The whore has passed now and none shall recognize the name."

The king thought a moment longer, thinking back on his lineage to find a suiting title.

"Dimeria. Dimeria Boreas. Yes, that will do. Now take her away from here." He ordered the maid.

She turned without another word taking the peacefully sleeping child with her. She walked into the night, swiftly and silently. She kept reminding herself of her quest.

No one must know.

She found a merchant travelling through the night and paid him what little she had to take her to the next town. Where would she take Dimeria? She couldn't just pawn her off to any family; she didn't want to do that to such an innocent life. The next day she traveled even further. Still, the thought swam through her mind.

No one must know.

Doing all she could, she cared for Dimeria, bastard daughter of the king. She would have given her life for her and she almost thought she would have to, when a man found her outside of a pub as she was holding the infant and begging for food.

"What brought you to such a low state, my lady?" The middle-aged man asked. He had kind eyes, noble and wise. Tears gathered in the young maid's eyes, as she recalled her journey to keep baby Dimeria safe.

"Please, kind sir. Will you please help me? I cannot keep caring for her; I have no provisions! Please take her and raise her." She begged of him.

"Woman, I am a guard from the Night's Watch. I have come to recruit convicts to The Wall. I cannot care for your infant."

"No, you don't understand! She is not mine, I was told to take her away…none must know of her where I come from. But I can no longer watch over her, I have given all of my life for this child…but I have nothing left!"

"Quiet, quiet my lady!" The man sighed in frustration. He gazed at the woman and the child. Something inside him, a whispering voice in his mind, told him to assist the woman and child. Without help, both would soon die. He grabbed a small purse filled with gold coins and bent near the maid.

"Take this, and go back to your home. I will take the child."

Gratitude flooded her heart and she began crying joyous praises for the kind man. She handed Dimeria over to him and kissed her on the forehead. Before she left though, the guard stopped her and said:

"If I am to take this child, you must tell me where she is from; who is she?"

The thought passed through her mind once more.

No one must know.

But she had no other choice. With a deep breath she spoke to the man,

"Her name is Dimeria Boreas. She was born in King's Landing." She paused, afraid to say the next words.

"She is the bastard daughter of King Arrys Targaryen."

"My lord, this is dangerous…we cannot keep a baby at the wall!"

The guard was traveling back with a small caravan of convicts back to The Wall. His partner, Jeor Mormont, was becoming ever so restless at the sight of the babe in his commanders arms. The journey back to the wall was long and taxing on their own, Jeor was less than satisfied at the prospect of having to keep someone else alive. His commander was adamant, though. They would keep Dimeria alive and that was the end of the discussion. Still, Jeor tried one last time to persuade him to abandon the child.

"Jeor, as I have said before, she is coming with us."

"Fine. Then can you tell me why?" Jeor asked solemnly.

The commander inhaled deeply. The fear in the young maid's eyes as she told him her secret came back to him. The poor child, currently sleeping in his arms had no idea how much trouble she had stirred up just from being brought into the world. Horrible things would certainly happen if the people were to discover whom she belonged to, who she really was in birthright.

"Sir?"

Jeor interrupted the commander's thoughts. He decided to put it as simply as he could.

"I am Aemon Targaryen, I have the right to raise this child…for she is my niece."

The words almost seemed foreign to poor Jeor. "Niece? But how?"

"My dear Jeor! You are young, but not that young. I expected you to already know how…" Aemon said to him. He shifted baby Dimeria in his arms as a hearty laugh escaped his lips. A warm flush found its way onto Jeor's cheeks as his commander continued laughing at his expense.

"I know **how** it happened, my lord." Jeor said through gritted teeth. "But why? Why are you caring for her? Is it not your brother's job to parent his own children?"

"You ask too many questions, Jeor." Aemon said, suddenly silencing his snickering.

"Maybe I wouldn't have to if you answered some of them for me." Jeor muttered more to himself than to Aemon. Stifling a perturbed sigh, Aemon decided to tell Jeor a slight truth. He could trust him, he knew he could; and besides, Jeor would be next in command some day, there were things he would have to be informed about.

"I suppose the correct term for Dimeria would be that she's my bastard niece." Aemon quickly glanced at Jeor to see his reaction, for he made the comment rather nonchalantly, just to get a genuine response out of him. Things suddenly clicked into place for Jeor then, like the stars were finally in perfect alignment. The pieces of his mind finally fit into their proper places and he widened his eyes in amazement. Now he knew. The poor child would be subject to abuse, poverty, and ridicule if people knew who she was. Even if the king decided to keep the girl as a ward, she would never lead happy life. One could only imagine how the stepmother would react to the product of her husband's infidelity, no one would want that for a child.

"But my lord, The Night's Watch? Her life will be as much forfeit there as it is in King's Landing."

"No. We will raise her so that she is accustomed to it. She will no nothing of the outside world, and they will know nothing of her…until it is safe at least."

"We?!" Jeor gawked at his sudden inclusion in the plan.

"I'm afraid so. I am not getting any younger, Jeor. You will soon be Lord Commander of The Wall and I will need your assistance with this little one. If she is to survive the harsh cold of the north and all that goes with it, we will need to raise her to be real northerner; a real wolf. She shall be a warrior no less than any of the ones we already have, and you are going to help with achieving that."

Aemon said with finality that not even the boisterous Jeor could argue with. If he had learned anything at The Wall, it was to follow orders when they were given; and that was what he was going to do. He looked at Dimeria and shifted uncomfortably on his horse. Aemon noticed and quickly consoled him.

"It will not be so hard. I may call you young, but you are not, and I know that. You will do well as Lord Commander one day."

Jeor smiled at the sincere comment and felt some of his tension melt away. He would do what was right and look after Dimeria. After all, how difficult could it really be?


	2. Chapter 2

The child proved to be more of a challenge than anyone thought…and also a blessing. Dimeria was rowdy and full of childlike spirit. As a toddler, she spent her days running all over the place: up ramps, down stairs, and all around the towers and halls. The men's first reaction to her was disbelief and possibly some annoyance, but the innocence and happiness grew on the battle-hardened men and they soon grew accustomed to her. Gleeful squeals and high-pitched laughter became a normal sound on The Wall and the men often joined in; of course, their laughter was deeper and they seldom squealed. All the while, Aemon and Jeor looked on with caution and concern. None of the guards knew who Dimeria really was, but the fear had permanently settled in their minds. It was not necessary though; anyone who looked upon the young girl would never have suspected she was truly a Targaryen. Dark hair had sprouted all over her head and lay thick upon her shoulders. She had icy blue eyes, wide and full of wonder. The only thing that caused anyone to question her origins was a thick strand of stark white running through her black hair. Through her growing stages, she had brought life back to The Wall, which was usually known for the exact opposite.

Her adolescent years were no different, except that she had grown developed an attitude. She was sarcastic and rough, just as the men were and her words had a painful sting when she wanted them to. When she was 14 years, Aemon and Jeor decided it was time to start her on fighting lessons.

"Your sword is an extension of your arm, Dimeria. Be graceful and quick, while staying firm and strong." Jeor reminded her constantly.

"Those things are the exact opposite from each other!" She complained as she struggled to pick up the heavy weapon with just one hand.

Jeor sighed angrily as the defiant girl refused to listen to him. "Use **one** hand!" He said to her.

"I'll never be able to lift the damned thing!" She screamed. She threw it to the ground as hard as she could and stomped away, only to be stopped by Aemon.

"Patience, young one." He said putting a calming hand on her shoulder. "You will never get better if you do not try." He strode past her and picked up the sword while stepping towards Jeor.

"Perhaps this **is **too heavy for her, Jeor."

"Then what do you suggest, Lord Commander?" Jeor asked trying to stifle his mounting frustration. He cared for Dimeria dearly, but she was much to handle sometimes.

"Start her off with a wooden training sword…teach her the basics. When she gets stronger, then she can use a real sword. Perhaps even throw in a bow and arrow…" He said smiling to himself.

"A wooden sword? That's not going to do any damage! Why don't I just grab a stick and…" Dimeria started in

"Dimeria!" Aemon snapped at her. "The first thing **you** must learn is discipline. I will not stand for your brash comments and complaints. You either straighten up, or learn nothing!"

His scolding quieted her immediately. She nodded almost imperceptibly and hung her head down, allowing her dark locks to cover her face.

"Go. You will start tomorrow." Aemon said with a softer voice.

She turned and walked out of the weapons shed and up into her quarters. Back down in the shed, Aemon and Jeor still stood reordering the swords.

"I never expected her to be this much trouble." Jeor said to Aemon.

"She definitely has Targaryen blood within her, which is fortunate just as much as it is bad. But she will learn." Aemon said with a sigh.

And she did. The next day, Jeor began teaching Dimeria the basics of sword fighting. Quick on your feet, make fast and precise movements, and keep your core tight.

"Never leave yourself open for your enemy to strike you down," Jeor warned Dimeria, "A seasoned fighter will take advantage of any opportunity he sees."

Dimeria found a passion in fighting. Her muscles toned and with her small figure, she was able to move quicker than all the other guards present. Through her lessons she was taught discipline, patience, and most importantly: battle smarts. She was more focused now; she no longer had the attention span of an insect, although she did still have a temper quicker than a wolf hunting down its prey.

Her teen years were spent physically adapting her to the demands of Night Watch. She quickly evolved into one of the most skilled fighters there. Being gifted in both sword fighting and with a bow and arrow, Dimeria had the confidence of a true warrior. She walked with her back straight, her jaw firm, and her head held high. She no longer let her hair run wild about her back, but she braided it; weaving the dark strands and the one white strand in and out of each other. She became the mature woman that Aemon and Jeor knew she could be and they looked upon her with pride. The years were passing quickly; they still remembered the day that they had taken Dimeria in as if it were yesterday. And just as Dimeria was growing up, Aemon was also growing older. He found he could no longer meet the requirements of being Lord Commander. On the day of Dimeria's 17th year, Aemon could no longer see. It was on this day that he stepped down and gave the position to Jeor. During Dimeria's celebration, Aemon pulled Jeor aside and explained to him the situation.

"It's your time to step up and become Lord Commander of The Wall, Jeor."

"Are you sure?" Jeor asked tentatively. It was a big role to fill and he wasn't quite certain he was ready for it.

"Absolutely. My eye sight is going; it's time for a newer, younger replacement." Aemon said with a smile.

"I will do my best, sir." He said trying to sound confident. He glanced over at Dimeria and couldn't help but feel a sliver of fear slither up his spine. Should he tell someone else about her origins to assist in trying to keep her safe?

"What of Dimeria?" He asked Aemon gesturing in her direction.

"What about her? She shall stay here at the Nightwatch, no one will know."

"Certainly someday she will have questions. Every bastard child does." Jeor responded worriedly.

"She already knows she is a bastard…abandoned by her parents. What more information could she desire?"

Aemon's first speculation was correct. Dimeria was was content and had accepted fairly early that she would most likely never meet her parents; that she was a bastard child. But as she walked away from the other guards of The Wall to refill her mug of ale, she overheard the heated debate over the topic of her origin. Listening in quietly, she heard this:

"If she ever questions us about her birth, we will have no choice but to tell her." Jeor said to Aemon.

"It is too dangerous, Jeor." Aemon said.

_Dangerous?_ Dimeria thought to herself.

"We cannot speak of this…to anyone. If her curiosity is not sparked, she will not go asking questions." Aemon finished saying to Jeor.

Unknowingly, they had sparked her interest. The complete mindset that her life was simple and happy began melting away. What other secrets were they keeping from her? Her entire life, these 2 men had kept up a façade to hide something. Could this mean her entire life was a lie? Heat flooded her cheeks from the growing anger in the pits of her stomach. Burning tears flooded her eyes and her breathing came in quick, but quiet rasps. She no longer felt the constant bite of cold in the north, but the smoldering sultriness radiating from her outrage. But she kept it to herself. She briskly walked out into the frosty night and walked away until she could go no further. Should she just leave The Night's Watch and never return?

No.

That would be stupid and irresponsible; she could never make it out there on her own. She knelt down with her knees in the snow and tried to calm her breathing. Her easy life was no longer so effortless and it killed her knowing that there was so much more than she realized. There was nothing she could do about it, though. Telling herself not to overthink things, she tried to convince herself that Aemon and Jeor would tell her everything when the time was right. But how long would she have to wait?

Weeks, months, and finally years went by and nothing was ever said. She kept everything to herself though, carrying it like match that she could light at any moment and burn everything to ashes. That day she learned not to so easily trust everyone she met. She distanced herself from those around her, making her outer shell even tougher. Those she didn't have faith in, were kept further than arm's length. The men noticed, but didn't know what to make of it. From that day on, Dimeria became colder. But she had a flame within her, a small flame that could still burn like a beacon in the night, one that could burn anyone she directed her malice at.


	3. Chapter 3

"Don't be a fool, Benjen. They are myths and nothing more. That deserter was just trying to save himself."

Dimeria snapped as she organized the archery range. She had never seen so many inexperienced new recruits. It made her job harder than it already was since she was the only female at The Wall. She had just entered into her 21st year and was more beautiful than ever. Her striking blue eyes were framed perfectly by her high cheekbones and her dark hair seemed to make them sparkle brighter than the stars. Her dark locks were longer now and that white strand of hair continued to draw curious gazes her way, but she had learned to ignore the stares a long time ago. There were only a few men she bothered to acknowledge, mainly because they were the only ones that didn't lust after her. Benjen being one of these few, they continued their debate.

"Dimeria, he may be a traitor, but there was fear in his eyes. No man can fake that terror. Now I am not saying his tale is true, but I do believe he saw something out there; something that we cannot ignore."

He stepped in front of her, forcing her to look at his face. She sighed reluctantly and set the quiver of arrows she had gathered to the ground.

"What is it you think he saw?" She asked tiredly. She didn't have time for this nonsense, in her mind; the traitor should just be taken from The Wall and be executed. Let that be the end.

"Who knows? We would have to go out there ourselves to be sure." Benjen said.

Dimeria raised her brow at the tone of his voice. It was full of curiosity and determination.

"You mean to go investigate?" She asked him.

"It is the only way to be certain. Whatever he saw out there scared him witless. It could be anything and it could be nothing, but either way, we cannot take any chances."

"He is right."

A deep voice sounded behind them, making them turn quickly. Lord Commander Jeor was walking up to them. The years had taken their toll ever since he became Lord Commander. His hair had whitened, resembling the streak in Dimeria's mane. His girth had widened substantially now, not only making him a large man in height, but also in width.

"But Lord Commander, you don't really think that…that the—" Dimeria stuttered of her words, not able to bring herself to say them.

"The White Walkers? Well, I will not know what to think until someone goes to investigate, will I?" He said with a demeaning smile towards Dimeria.

Annoyance flooded her mind and she narrowed her eyes at Jeor.

"Why don't you just go investigate yourself?" She said as she kicked over the quiver of arrows and stomped away from Benjen and Jeor.

Loose strands from her braid blew wildly in the wind and her cloak flapped behind her, Benjen and Jeor could only stand and watch as she walked away.

"I remember the days she was just a child here…that smile never left her face. The world 'smile' is hardly even in her vocabulary now." Benjen said with a sigh.

"Yes, time has definitely changed her. Only time will tell how much more she'll change." Jeor said morosely. The two of them finished straightening up the archery range and returned to their quarters for the night. They both reflected on how much they missed the energetic presence she gave off to everyone, the beautiful innocence she possessed; now she seemed has hard and grim as the other men of the Night Watch. What had made her this way? They wondered. It seemed to just happen out of nowhere, like a hawk swooping down on its prey: completely unexpected.

From Dimeria's perspective though, she had every right to be mad. The young warrior kept to herself most of the time, using her stern visage to keep others away. After she had snapped at Jeor, Dimeria headed for the dining hall to grab a meal before she retired for the night. Plenty of the men were in there having as much of a party as you could have at The Wall; which usually meant they ended up drunk, disgusting, and more obnoxious than usual. She tried to grab her food as quickly as possible and avoid being seen, but being the only woman there, it's hard to miss her. She somehow managed it though and sat in the back of the hall where there were less people.

"He's being taken to Winterfell, I heard! To be executed there!" A large man laughed heartily. Beer sloshed in his mug onto his already filthy shirt, but he hardly seemed to notice. Dimeria sighed in irritation. Talk of this idiotic deserter would take days, possibly weeks, to finally die down.

"Heard Benjen was droppin' him off then pickin' up new recruits!" Another man said.

The large man with a dirty shirt replied to him saying:

"Sorry lots, they won't know what's comin' to 'em when they get 'ere!" He said loudly.

"Ya can't leave, it's cold 'nough to freeze your piss, and no WOMEN." He said the last one with such emphasis as if it were the worst thing that could have ever happened to him.

_Can't imagine you had that many women to begin with…_

Dimeria thought to herself.

The man's comment brought many laughs and even more heartfelt groans from those who felt the same way. Dimeria shook her head in disgust, but she forgot the remark almost as quickly as it was made. She had been around brutish men her entire life; they couldn't do much to surprise her anymore.

"Oy! We do have one woman, that Dimeria girl! What I would do to get her in my bed!"

Dimeria didn't spot the voice from which statement came, but she immediately felt herself blush. She had always been aware that the men looked at her just because she was the only woman there, but she had never heard them speak of her this way. The thought of sleeping with any of these men made her sick to the stomach.

The man resembling a fat boar spoke once more,

"Aye! You're not the first man to wish that and ya certainly won't be the last!"

"How many d'ya think she's been with?" A weasel-like man asked excitedly. Dimeria felt her food start to make its way back up.

"Probably lost count!" The fat man responded, "She could have any of us if she wanted and none of us would complain!"

And that did it for her. She stood abruptly and charged beer-bellied man with a dagger. Her blue eyes seemed to have a blazing fire behind them as she pushed him against the wall, not bothering to hide any of her rage. With her knife to his throat he began whimpering pathetically.

"Make one more comment on my behalf," she threatened him and with another dagger from her boot, she held it to his groin saying, "and I will make sure you never say another word, or feel another urge."

He nodded tensely and she backed away from him. Turning to the other men she said,

"And that goes for the rest of you!"

Without another word, she stepped out of the dining hall and into the night with her eyes blazing and not noticing that her palms seemed to be glowing a mysterious blue.

The next morning Benjen left with a small caravan for Winterfell, for his brother and his family ruled there. Without his presence, it was up to Dimeria to train the most recent recruits to be ready to be on actual duty. Most of the men were already cautious of her when she was armed, but after last night's event, they seemed hesitant just to see her at all. Their obvious panic gave Dimeria a sense of satisfaction and she actually wore a slight smirk that day. Her jovial laugh even returned when the overweight man she held her daggers to saw her. It was a little after midday when they crossed paths. Hoping to elicit a response from him, she placed her hand on the small dagger at her belt made clear eye contact with him.

The man scrambled away as fast as his stout legs could carry him, only to run smack into a wooden beam.

Laughter escaped her throat at the comical sight and she doubled over while clenching her stomach. Other men joined in with her joy and began pointing and laughing at the man currently lying in the snow. Jeor witnessed this event and felt a glimmer of hope shine within him. Perhaps Dimeria wasn't as unfeeling as he thought she had grown to be…

But the rest of the week had proved him wrong. She fell back into her machine-like habits: Train, eat, train some more, and sometimes go to The Wall for her scheduled watch time. It wasn't until the new recruits got there that things finally started changing for Dimeria.

The gates to Castle Black opened and allowed the Return of Benjen and several new recruits, one of them being his nephew, Jon Snow. Another surprising guest had come along with them, Tyrion Lannister. Dimeria looked at the caravan with interest and curiosity as she saw the impish lord look upon The Wall. Unexpectedly, Tyrion seemed to look upon the structure with admiration, while the new recruits look at it with fear. Beginning to lose interest, Dimeria turned to walk away when the dwarf spoke to her back.

"You don't look like a man." He said.

Turning to him with raised eyebrows, she said, "Obviously, I am not a man."

Tyrion paused then, taking the young woman in. He first noticed how beautiful she was; only a fool would disregard that. Her brilliant blue eyes entranced him and he began wondering what an alluring girl would be doing at the Night's Watch.

"Are you the bastard daughter that Aemon Targaryen…" He stopped abruptly as soon as he laid eyes upon the white streak in her hair. There were few people in all the realms that possessed ivory hair such as that, and they were not welcome in the kingdom.

"Yes, Aemon Targaryen found me as a babe and took me in." Dimeria finished for him. The dwarf had not stopped staring at the stark white strip in her hair and she unconsciously drew her hand up to place it behind her ear.

Noticing the movement, he broke his staring and replaced his curious gaze with a smirk.

"Well, you are a lucky one, aren't you? Not many bastards are quite as fortunate as you." He said to her. "Coincidentally enough, we have another bastard among us who has been just as blessed as you." Lord Tyrion stepped back then and gestured to Benjen's nephew who had been listening to the conversation with interest.

Dimeria looked the young man up and down.

"It is not uncommon to have bastards at The Wall." She said looking back at Tyrion.

"Maybe not, but to have such attractive bastards…now that's something impressive." He said teasing the two of them.

Dimeria glanced back at Jon only to see him cast his eyes down to the ground in what seemed to be embarrassment.

"Why are you here, dwarf?" Dimeria asked him rudely.

Tyrion raised his eyes in surprises and also amusement.

"First of all, my name is Tyrion Lannister and I expect to be addressed by my proper title."

Dimeria stifled a sigh at her stupidity and pride. A Lannister. Nothing was worse than getting on the wrong side of a Lannister and Dimeria had basically thrown herself off a cliff into Tyrion's bad side. The imp seemed not to care though; he almost seemed entertained at her sarcasm.

"Secondly," he continued, "The Wall is quite a sight to see. While many people pity the guards here, I hold them in the highest respect. And I also would quite enjoy pissing off the top of the wall." He said with a smile.

And although she hated it, the small man brought a grin to her face. With a laugh Tyrion, Benjen, and the other recruits passed by her further into the headquarters. She watched them go by and unexpectedly made eye contact once more with Tyrion. He gave her a slight wink and passed with a slight hop to his step. She went the opposite direction not noticing Jon Snow's eyes on her the whole time.


	4. Chapter 4

The dining hall was filled with the testosterone of the new recruits as they got acquainted with their new comrades. The men she had threatened almost two weeks ago were absent that night. Dimeria smiled inwardly as she thought of the fear she had instilled in them that night.

Not particularly concerned with the obnoxious behavior of the men this night, she didn't bother trying to distance herself from them. There were many of them in there that night, so she removed her cloak from her back and shoulders, for she felt the radiating warmth from the many bodies. She never particularly felt cold anyway, she never knew why; she just assumed that she had grown accustomed to it over the years.

"Aye lass, ye must be cold there without ye're cloak." One of the new guards sat down on her left, scooting rather close to her. She glared at him from the side, but didn't bother to actually lift her head from her meal.

The guard continued, "Why don't ye come back to my quarters…I bet I could warm ye up." He said with a mischievous grin. He reached out to grab the lock of white hair that had drifted over her face. Holding her breath, she tensed her muscles as he ran the white lock through his fingers.

Scooting away from him, she said, "I don't think so."

A small crowd had gathered around them; some of them more of the new men, and others the veterans of The Wall, not bothering to warn the man of Dimeria's wrath.

Taking pleasure from the mounting attention, the man refused to take 'no' for an answer.

"Okay then, lemme try again. Name's Mereas. How 'bout you tell me your name…then we can head up to my room."

"I said, no." Dimeria said finally caring enough to look up at him. He wasn't the most hideous man she had ever seen, but he definitely was not anyone to give a second glance to.

"Oh, come on now, girl." Mereas said reaching for her shoulder. "Surely they didn't bring you here to just stand around. How 'bout I take you with me and I'll put you to some real work…somethin' that'll benefit the both of us."

Dimeria reached down with her right hand to grab the hidden dagger in her boot, but immediately clenched her fist and scolded herself as she realized she had left it in her room. Instead, she slapped his hand away and gave a cold glare hoping that alone would be enough to make him stop; she did not feel up to fighting another foolish man tonight.

But Mereas proved to be persistent, for once again, he reached out to grab Dimeria; but this time in a much more intimate spot. Although she didn't have her dagger, she snatched up the knife given with her meal. It was dull, but if she applied enough force (which she could), it would do enough damage. Pushing his outstretched and wandering hand onto the table, she drove the handle of the knife into the top of his and immediately broke a bone. The man screamed in pain and clutched at his injured hand and glowered at Dimeria.

The crowd gathered around had grown considerably and they were now cheering and laughing at how foolish Mereas had been. He was not giving up, though. A growl escaped his mouth and he lurched forward at Dimeria who had already diverted her attention back to her dinner. Before he could even lay his good hand on her, someone else had grabbed his cowl and yanked him backwards onto the floor. Mereas painfully stood back up to see the face of Jon Snow glaring down at him.

"How many times does she have to tell you, 'no'?" Jon asked him.

Dimeria had since then stood up from the table and was looking over Jon's shoulder.

"Leave her alone, or perhaps we'll both have a go at your other hand." Jon threatened him.

Without another word, Mereas left the hall in a rush.

"Oh, a dinner and a show! I must say, that was much more entertaining than the ones at King's Landing!" A familiar, sarcastic voice filled the room and they all turned to see a smirking Tyrion standing on one of the tables.

As the crowd dispersed, Dimeria sat once more at her dinner, though she seemed to have lost her appetite. Jon Snow replaced the spot to her left and Tyrion took a place across from her.

"I must say, you are quite gifted with a blade; even when you don't use the pointy end!" Tyrion said with a laugh.

Dimeria offered a small smirk in response and continued to push the food around on her plate. It was then that Jon picked up her cloak and offered it to her.

"Here, you must be cold." He said kindly.

She pushed it away. "I'm not…"

Jon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at her cold response. "I just saved you from that man-"

"Actually boy, I don't think she needed saving at all." Lord Tyrion interrupted.

"I had it sorted." She said curtly to Jon.

"I was only trying to help." He murmured quietly. Dimeria sighed at his hurt feelings, but said nothing to console him.

"Well this is awkward." Tyrion said, "I thought bastards were supposed to have some sort of special bond with each other."

Neither of them offered any response to him except for harsh glares.

"If you two aren't going to talk, I suppose I'll start the conversation. Dimeria, where on earth did that white streak come from?" Tyrion asked bluntly.

Taken aback from the upfront question, it took her a moment to reply.

"How should I know?" She said

"You don't know who your parents are?" Jon asked her curiously.

"Do you?!" She snapped at him.

"My mother, no. But my father and his wife raised me as one of their own in Winterfell. More so my father, but still…" Jon said calmly.

Dimeria sighed again saying, "No, I do not know my parents. I do not know where my white strand of hair came from." She said turning to both Jon and Tyrion.

The inquiries of her origins had stirred up the same hateful emotions she felt the same day she overheard the conversation between Jeor and Aemon. She still had found out nothing more of her parents and she hated that the two of them were still keeping secrets from her. The thought of it put her in a sour mood and she finally just pushed away her plate of food.

"You know, I have only seen one other family with hair such as that streak." Tyrion said. "The Targaryen's have always had white hair running in their family."

Dimeria scoffed at the remark, "Me, a Targaryen? No. Just because Aemon happens to be one means nothing. People hardly even remember he is from that bloodline. He keeps mainly to himself now that he is blind." She shook her head incredulously, "Besides, they are from the south. I have been in the north my entire life."

"Ah, but you just said you know nothing of your parents. Perhaps they were from the south and you just don't know it."

And with that Lord Tyrion bid them good night and left the dining hall. The suggestion left a strange feeling in her stomach and she wasn't sure what to make of it. She looked over to Jon who was still sitting beside her, quietly.

"I apologize for my rudeness. It is not everyday I am questioned about my parents." She said to him.

"Think nothing of it. I understand the frustrations that go along with being a bastard child."

His somber tone of voice drew a pitying emotion from Dimeria and she suddenly felt inclined to keep speaking with Jon.

"Do you know anything of your mother? Or did your father never speak of her?" She asked trying to make conversation.

"He never spoke of her; he couldn't with his wife. She never took a liking to me since I was an obvious sign of her husband's betrayal. She never considered me part of the family."

"How many are you?"

"The oldest brother is Robbert. Then Sansa, she is a few years younger than I. Then Arya, she's barely into her first decade. Bran, and then Rickon is the youngest. There is also one ward, Theon from House Greyjoy."

"Sounds like quite a bunch." Dimeria said with a kind smile.

A flash of pain crossed Jon's eyes then as he remembered his family that had taken him in. Although Lady Stark had never liked him, the rest of the family treated him like a true blood brother. Dimeria felt sorry for him then. She had never considered that the men that came to The Wall were leaving families behind; she only ever thought of them as convicts and criminals. This one though, he was simply a volunteer trying to find his place in the world. He would mostly likely never see his family again, and if he did; it would be many years from now.

Dimeria had never known the feeling of family. She had briefly before she felt the heartbreaking betrayal of Jeor and Aemon; but she had never had to withstand the painful loss of family. What would her life be like if she had known her parents, even if only for a little while? Would she have runaway from the Night's Watch many years ago?

She would never know, but the presence of Jon Snow and the love he had for his family sprouted new feelings within her that she had never felt before. Could the love of a family be that strong? She asked herself. Could love from anyone be that strong? The affection that Jon showed evoked jealousy within her, also. She suddenly had a strong desire to know her parents, to know why they hadn't kept her. A whirring swirl of emotions engulfed her mind: shame, anger, and sadness. _Why?_

She kept asking herself. What was wrong with her? The sense of incompletion she first on that day many years swallowed her whole. Her breathing came quickly and her head felt numb. A tingling in her hands had begun as she felt shame and anger course throughout her entire body.

"Dimeria?"

She snapped out of her deep pool of emotions to look into the concerned face of Jon.

"I'm sorry, I just…" She said struggling for words, "it's just, I never knew my parents. I wish I had the opportunity to do so." She finished with a tear travelling down her cheek.

Jon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, the first man to ever do so without getting injured.

"You may be able to, someday. But you should be happy for your fortune. Your Lord Commander cared for you enough to save you, not many are so lucky."

"I'm not sure luck had anything to do with it." Dimeria said miserably.

"What do you mean?"

Dimeria inhaled deeply. She shouldn't have said anything.

"It's nothing." She told him.

Jon left it at that, he could tell it was a personal matter; one that he could not force her to talk about. He once again placed his hand on her shoulder and gave her a kind smile. Much to his surprise, she offered one back. It was a beautiful smile, one that reached her deep blue eyes and made them sparkle. He walked out of the dining hall no longer feeling threatened by the fierce fighter. He had to admit to himself that he was rather wary of her after all the stories the other men had told of Dimeria, but after a slightly rocky start, she seemed accept him more than she accepted the others.

Jon laughed to himself then. Perhaps Lord Tyrion was correct.

Maybe bastards do have a special bond.

_**Hi everyone! Hope you're enjoying the story so far. I apologize for it starting off a bit slow, I really want to establish Dimeria's character and who she is. I promise I'll be trying to pick it up soon! Remember to leave reviews, I enjoy hearing from you and it's much appreciated, thanks!**_


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed as though bastards did have a special bond. For the first time ever, Dimeria seemed to have an actual friend. The men thought it an odd relationship, for most of the time it started with Dimeria and Jon training fiercely as if they meant to murder each other, but ended with happy slaps on the back. Even Tyrion Lannister noticed their budding relationship and even took credit for introducing them. They were fond of each other; she especially appreciated him for the sense of honor he had; a trait rarely found in the men that were recruited to the Night's Watch. As she trained the other recruits, he would often join in, for he was quite experienced in sword fighting.

"I leave tomorrow to go beyond The Wall." Benjen said to his nephew and Dimeria after a day of training.

"For how long?" Dimeria asked him.

"However long it takes." Benjen looked to his nephew who looked rather concerned.

"Do not be so distraught, Jon." Benjen said with a smile.

"Can I not go with you? I've more experience than most here with a sword." Jon asked.

"You have not yet taken your oath, nephew. Besides, Stark's have been present on the wall for centuries, it would not be right for us both to leave."

"You and I both know I am not a Stark." Jon said sadly.

"You're as good as one. You might as well be." Benjen said with a comforting hand to his shoulder. With that, he walked away. Jon closed his eyes delving deep into his thoughts and forgetting that Dimeria was still standing there. She, too, placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder before she took her leave.

Later that night as Benjen and other scouts prepared their things to depart in the morning, Dimeria sat on The Wall quietly as she waited for her night shift to end.

"Would you like me to grab you more wood for your fire?"

Dimeria turned to see Jon coming towards her. She shook her head and said, "No. The chill seems not to affect me so."

Jon took a seat across from her with the small fire in between them.

"You're a lucky one." He said. He placed his hands over the flames in attempt to warm them. She smiled at him then, still sensing that he was upset about his earlier conversation with Benjen.

"Do not fret about not being able to go with your uncle. You will soon be a scout just as him; much quicker than some of the other recruits here." She said with a smile. He met her gaze with kind eyes.

"Are you not to go with them?" He questioned her.

"No. Along with you, I have never taken the oath." She said looking out into the distance. He looked at her incredulously finding it hard to believe that the great fighter had never sworn in as a true guard of The Wall.

Again she smiled saying, "I have lived here my entire life. I've never seen anything of the outside world, so there was no reason for me to ever leave. The Wall is the only thing I have ever known."

"Lady of the Wall." He remarked. They grinned at each other, both seeming to like the title.

"Yes, I suppose so."

Silence fell with only the crackles of the small fire and the howling wind filling the space around them. Dimeria closed her eyes and let her mind wander. What was the outside world like? She heard rumors and tales of the of the events in Westeros, but The Wall was an isolated land; only the high ranking officials received accurate and daily reports of what was going on. Technically Dimeria was one of those officials, but she did not desire that position; she wanted only to do her job.

"What is the outside world like?" She asked Jon suddenly.

He took a moment before answering: "I have only lived in the north…Winterfell. Never have I been south. Things are stirring, though. What it is, I cannot say. Although I fear that my family may be in the middle of things."

"Why is that?"

"My father and sisters are being escorted to King's Landing." He paused not knowing if Dimeria knew of the land. She nodded her head signifying her knowledge of the place and he continued.

"The former hand of the king has passed on and my father is replacing him. Sansa is betrothed to Prince Joffrey, and Arya has been taken along to be instructed on how to be a 'proper lady', more or less."

"That does not seem so bad." She said to him.

"Maybe…but it could not have come at a worse time. Bran has suffered a serious injury and I still have no word on whether he has awoken or not. And there are also rumors that perhaps the former hand of the king was murdered." He trailed off letting Dimeria sort the rest out for herself.

"I see…"

Jon sighed. "My father says that winter is coming…coming fast." He said menacingly.

"It is always winter here." She said as if it should be a comfort to him. He laughed at her misunderstanding and she furrowed her eyebrows.

"What?" She asked.

"It is not only a prediction of the changing seasons, but also of the bad things that will be upon us."

Dimeria raised a brow and again looked out over The Wall. Winter had never seemed so bad to her, what bad things could come from it? She wondered. She looked back at Jon who now had a grim visage set upon his face. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"I'm sure nothing bad will happen, to you or your family." He smiled at her kind words and began thinking about how lucky he was to have found a companion such as Dimeria. He did not fear life as a Night's Guard, but he never suspected it would as pleasant as it had been; he believed he owed much of that pleasantry to Dimeria. He squeezed her hand back as a thank you before releasing it.

They heard footsteps coming up to them and looked up. It was a large boy, no older than Jon or Dimeria.

"Ah, Samwell. I guess you have come to relieve me, then?" Dimeria asked him.

He nodded yes and proceeded to gesture behind him.

"Uh, Jon. Your wolf followed me up here and well…" He stopped as Jon's direwolf, Ghost, trotted up to him and joined him by the fire. Dimeria smiled. She liked Jon's pet, if that is what you could call it, and he seemed to like her back.

"Well, I'll be off then." Dimeria said and she bid them good night.

After she had gone, Samwell sat himself across from Jon.

"We take our oaths tomorrow." Samwell said nervously. Jon smiled, for he was more than ready to solidify his place at Castle Black. Not having the same confidence, Sam frowned at his reaction.

"What? Are you not excited?" Jon asked him.

"You and I both know I am not suited to be a warrior. It was not my choice to come here." Sam muttered.

"It will be okay. You have already made it this far, do not quit now."

Samwell nodded and was silent. Both he and Jon could not stop thinking about their coming initiation. Even as their heads hit their pillows, thoughts of the next day would not leave them until sleep finally claimed them.

…

That night, Dimeria had a strange dream. Fire surrounded her. Not a blazing, dangerous fire, but it was steady enough to make her feel uncomfortable, for she was used to cold bite of the north. The flames suddenly got out of control, almost like a living entity. The blazing whips lashed out at her, burning her trousers and searing her hair. She cried out in pain as she brought up her arm to block her face, but the flames would not relent; she was under constant attack. She curled up on her side trying to protect herself. They scorched her back, burning her cloak and the rest of her clothes.

She cried out in her sleep, as she thrashed and twisted in her bed. Blistering pain consumed her entire body and she feared the end was near. All of a sudden, a mighty gust of wind blew. It cooled her skin and caused the flames to rear back. The great force seemed to pick her up and she felt as if she was gliding on nothing. The cool rush of the breeze blew back her hair and nipped at her face; she felt like she was flying.

Dimeria sat up in her bed, drenched in a cold sweat. Her breath came in short, heavy rasps and her heart was racing. It was early in the morning; the sun had just begun to rise. Dimeria rose and put on her clothes and finally wrapped her cloak around her before she left. She roamed the halls of Castle Black, not expecting to see anyone; so running into Lord Tyrion startled her out of her wits.

"Lord Tyrion! I apologize, I did not expect to see anyone this early." She said to the little lord.

"Think nothing of it. I was just readying my things for my departure." He said politely.

"Leaving so soon?"

"As much as I have enjoyed your company, my lady, and truly I have; the north is not for me. I think I am just going to take my piss of The Wall and be off." He said with a smile.

"I wish you safe travels." Dimeria said laughing along with him.

Tyrion continued walking past her and she did the same, until a thought came to her mind.

"Lord Tyrion!" She said turning back to him. He turned to regard her with questioning eyebrows raised.

"On the first night we met," she said, "you questioned me about my parents."

"Yes, and I mentioned the Targaryens." He said.

"I don't know much about the noble families, but…is there a way I might be able to find out about mine?" She asked him.

He considered her question for a moment before actually answering. She was an inquisitive girl, he could tell that easily. He was hesitant to give her an answer at first, for if Dimeria was not of a royal birth line, it would be nearly impossible to track down her origins. Tyrion could not bring himself to disappoint her, though.

"Perhaps. We have a library filled with many family trees, yours may be in there."

Dimeria bit her bottom lip in contemplation. Maybe she was getting worked up about nothing. Maybe her parents were just simple people trying to get by in life and they just couldn't afford to keep her. The possibility of her actually belonging to a royal bloodline was slim, but she couldn't forget Aemon and Jeor's conversation.

"To be completely honest, I would not mind having you for company on my trip home." Tyrion told her.

"Thank you, Lord Tyrion. Perhaps another time?"

"You are always welcome, my lady." Lord Tyrion smiled at her.

Dimeria was left alone with her thoughts. How much longer would she have to live with this gnawing curiosity? It seemed to eat at her heart every minute of every day. She really didn't even understand why it mattered to her so much. What would she gain out of it? She had lived her entire life on The Wall, if she found her parents, it's not like she could pick her life up with them as if she had known them forever. Dimeria pushed her anxiety away and decided to get ready for the coming day.

She went out to the training range. The men had started to rise, reminding her to keep her head down and her gaze straight.

"Bastard!" A voice called out.

Hearing it made her skin crawl. Alliser Thorne. He wasn't like the men that lusted after her, but he caused her blood to boil just as easily. He was an arrogant man, putting others down to push himself up. He seemed to prey upon others' weaknesses to rip them apart and completely destroy them. He had recently set his aim upon Jon Snow, focusing on his good qualities to turn the other recruits against him.

"What do you want?" She asked turning to Alliser.

"I assume you'll be a guide to the new recruits when they go to take their oaths…"

"No, since that is supposed to be your job." She responded rudely.

"Not today it isn't. Make sure you don't let them wander off." With an arrogant smirk, he strode off.

Anger couldn't even begin to describe how Dimeria felt when she thought of Alliser, but instead of complaining to Jeor, she stifled her fury and walked on. It wouldn't be too awful guiding the new recruits. In fact, she thought she might actually enjoy it considering Jon would be there…and even Samwell.

…

"Did you enjoy your piss?" Jon Snow asked Tyrion.

"Why yes, I did. Possibly one of the most satisfying experiences I've had. Besides my whores, of course." He said crassly.

"I heard you are going soon. I hope you have a safe journey." Jon said.

"My thanks. Good luck on the Night's Watch. And remember what I said about being a bastard. I guarantee it will help." Before turning away, Tyrion paused to say one more thing,

"That Dimeria girl…keep her close. It's not often you find someone with a spirit such as hers.

Jon furrowed his brows at the comment, but said nothing of it. His mind was still swimming with thoughts of taking his oath. He figured he was the first man to ever be so thrilled at being a Night's Watchman. To him though, it was the first time he would ever truly be apart of something. The Stark's were his family, but he often did not feel like he was one of them. Castle Black was a chance to truly feel welcome into a group.

"Jon!"

He turned to see Dimeria walking towards him.

"It seems that I will be your guide beyond The Wall today." She said happily. Jon returned her smile.

"That seems fitting. I would want a friend there with me." He smiled at her and then asked,

"Has Benjen already left?"

"Yes, he left early this morning…we should find Samwell and the others, we will be going soon." Before leaving she said, "You should be excited, you will do well here at The Wall…I can tell plenty is in store for you." She gave him a quick hug and then walked away.

…

They stepped out of the tunnel and into the white oblivion beyond The Wall. It didn't seem possible, but the wind blew stronger, the cold was harsher. The recruits could hardly see what was in front of them. They all pulled their cloaks tighter around them, except for Dimeria. She tucked the loose white strand of hair behind her ear and closed her eyes as if welcoming the bitter cold. She led them to a tree, that to them seemed to appear out of nowhere. Stopping there, she faced them and said:

"This is where you shall take your oath." She said gesturing to the tree behind them. "Place your sword in the ground here and take a knee. One at a time, you shall say your vow."

The 5 guards that she had escorted all stood there nervously, none stepping up to go first. The howling wind soared through their ears and their hair blew wildly about their shoulders. Dimeria stood patiently as she waited for one to kneel down. Jon was the first to come forward. He drew his sword from its sheath and bent down on the ground. Solemnly bowing his head, he recited to oath:

"_Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the shield that guards the realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."_

One by one, the rest of them knelt down and made their promise. It was a humbling moment for Dimeria. She had heard the oath, though she had never taken it for herself, but to hear it put into words and action; it reminded her of the true sacrifice the men of the Night's Watch make.

The last one made his pledge and Dimeria smiled at them.

"Congratulations, you are now officially guards of the Night's Watch."

Congratulatory pats were exchanged and joyous emotions reverberated around them. The feeling was surreal for Jon Snow and the others; they were officially Night's Watchmen. Their haze of happiness was quickly dissolved by the loud snap of a branch and the appearance of two White walkers.


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N: Here's the next chapter! This one was a lot of fun to write, so I hope you all enjoy it. Remember to leave reviews, they really do help me and they could help improve my writing if you have tips **_

Fear froze all of them in place. Never in their wildest dreams had they thought they would ever see a White walker—No less, TWO white walkers. They were creatures of myths and legends, beings that hadn't been seen for centuries. Yet, here they were, two undead beasts, with hideous glowing eyes and pale flesh. They made inhuman noises, gurgling up from their throats. They seemed to just stand and stare at the six of them for what seemed like ages until one of them broke the silence.

"What do we do?" Samwell whispered frantically.

Jon looked to Dimeria who still had her eyes locked with the monsters. Another one of the recruits could no longer handle it and turned to run away. And that was when all hell broke loose. The White walkers snapped out of their hypnotized gaze and ran towards them, bearing their teeth and screaming like crazed animals. Dimeria and Jon immediately drew their weapons preparing for the attack. The first came at Jon, lifting its decomposed arms at his head. Raising his sword above his head, he stepped to the left and hacked off the right arm. Still, the beast turned and ran back for more. Jon was taken completely by surprise and the white walker swatted the sword out of his hand.

"Jon!" Dimeria called out to him. As she ran to aid him, the other white walker confronted her. It pushed her up against a tree and began choking the life out of her. She hysterically pulled at the hideous flesh of the white walker, but the grip would not release. Her head was pounding and she could feel the last bits of air being pushed from her lungs.

A shudder ran through the arm of the white walker, and suddenly she saw a blade sticking through its chest. The White walker turned and revealed a frightened Samwell standing behind it. Without a second thought, Samwell turned and ran away and the White walker followed.

"Sam! No!" Dimeria managed to scream when she had reclaimed her voice.

She looked to Jon who had managed to cut off the legs of the beast attacking him and was telling the other guards to run back for help. Having to speak no words, the two of them ran after Sam into the icy forest. They found him narrowly dodging deadly hits from the White walker. Dimeria ran with her sword in hand, only to be surprised by the creature's inhuman speed as it forcefully threw her to side. Instead of landing heavily on her side, she seemed to slip and slide on the ground. She pushed herself up, not realizing where she had fallen. Dimeria was lying on a pond that had long been covered by ice. Unfortunately for her, a long crack ran from her to the edge; and it continued to span all across the body of water like a spider web, waiting to fall apart at any moment.

…

Right behind Dimeria, Jon drew his sword and began fighting off the White walker. He had to get the wretched creature away from Sam, but he was filled with worry, for he saw that Dimeria was stranded in the middle of a frozen body of water.

"Hold on, Dimeria!" He heard Sam cry.

The White walker stopped at the sound of his voice. Completely stunned, Jon could not bring himself to move. The White walker eerily turned its head in Dimeria's direction, stopping Dimeria's heart in fear. She stopped breathing almost, in hope that the ice would stop breaking. As if it knew exactly what predicament she was in, the White walker grabbed a large stone. Panic swelled in Jon's heart and he rushed towards the White walker.

But he was too late.

The White walker hurled the boulder, not aiming at Dimeria, but just throwing it onto the ice. With a loud crash, the ice barrier broke and the pieces sank into the water, taking Dimeria with them.

"No…" Jon muttered, "no!"

Functioning purely on rage, he charged the White walker with his sword raised. With a mighty heave, he decapitated it and dropped his weapon in complete exhaustion. Dimeria was still in the water, though, so he rose once more; intent on saving his friend from her freezing doom.

"Jon wait! You'll be killed!" Samwell said pulling him back.

"We can't just leave her out there!" Jon screamed back.

Having no response, Sam stood staring at him with wide eyes. Jon did not try to save her again though; he knew he wouldn't make it. They stood at the edge of the water, waiting for any sign of Dimeria. The water still wavered and splashed at the edges from the cracking ice, but Dimeria did not emerge. Sorrow gripped their hearts, yet they could not bring themselves to move away from the sight. They stood silently, mourning for their dear friend.

…

She expected pain; cold, icy pain stabbing her like a million needles all at once.

But she was fine. Dimeria finally opened her eyes when she was conscious of the fact that she wasn't dead. The water all around her seemed to be pulsating, as if the pond had a heartbeat. She gazed around in the water, searching for the source of constant beats. And that's when she saw them. To her left were two oval-shaped stones the size of her head, resting next to each other. They were radiating a soft blue, lighting up the rest of the water. Dimeria was completely entranced by them. Using the last of the air in her lungs, she swam deeper into the water, pulled them into her arms, and went back up to the surface.

…

Tears rimmed Jon's eyes as he continued to stand at the edge of the water. The other men who had just taken their oaths would surely be back soon with help; he did not want to think about the bad news he would have to share with them. He turned his back and began to leave when he heard a splash and huge gasp for air.

"By the gods…" He heard Sam say behind him. "Jon, look!"

Jon turned to see Dimeria resurfacing and trying to swim to shore. Without a second thought, he ran to the edge of the pond heaved Dimeria to land when she got within arm's reach. She was breathing heavily as she lay at his feet and he bent down to drag the rest of her body out of the water. He saw the two stones she had in her hands, but paid no attention to them, for he was only concerned with Dimeria's well being.

"Are you alright?! Are you hurt?" He asked her frantically.

"I'm fine…I'm okay." She stuttered breathlessly. She still clutched the two stones, not quite understanding why she was so mesmerized by them. She sat up on her knees facing Jon in the snow. He removed his own cloak from around his shoulders and went to place it around Dimeria's back. She put up her hand to stop him.

"Really. I am fine." She reassured him. Jon was skeptical. She should be freezing to death right in before his eyes, but Dimeria held back his arm, stopping him from placing his cloak around her. Instead, he gathered her in his arms and held her close to him. Holding her head to his shoulder, Jon could feel her warm breath coming to a steady pace as he embraced her. Dimeria wrapped her arms around him and allowed herself to relax in his arms. Samwell then rushed up to them, also bending down to his knees.

"How could you have survived?" He questioned Dimeria anxiously.

Pulling herself away from Jon's grasp, she looked to Sam and answered,

"I do not know…" She was soaking wet, her white strand of hair hardening as ice formed on it.

"Anyone would have died as soon as they hit the water." Sam exclaimed.

Dimeria furrowed her brows not understanding what it was Sam expected from her. Instead, Samwell laughed with relief and put his arms around her for a hug. Dimeria immediately felt Jon's arms join in and so they sat there on the ground, basking in their good fortune.

Soon, they heard the footsteps and fretful calls of the comrades in the distance. They pulled themselves together and ran to join them; they later described the terrifying incident to the Lord Commander when they got back to The Wall. During their journey back, Jon noticed the way Dimeria still grasped the strange blue stones in her arms, trying to cover them with her wet cloak.

"What are those?" He whispered over to her.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure. I found them in the water." She said with wide eyes. She clung to them even tighter as she walked on ahead of Jon. He furrowed his brows in confusion.

_Strange…_ Jon thought to himself. It almost looked as if the stones had scales on them.

…

_**Thank you everyone who's been reading, it means so much and I hope you're enjoying! Remember to review!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: So here's the next part, I hope you enjoy! This is one of the long pieces I've done; I plan on making them longer from now on. Remember to follow and review!**_

It seemed to Dimeria that it had been ages since she had last spoken to Aemon. She hardly saw him anymore these days, and if she did, she tended to avoid him. The old man was blind now. He kept to himself mostly, unless he was with Lord Commander Jeor, advising him on different matters. She knocked on the door to his chambers, drawing his sightless eyes in her direction.

"Enter." He said quietly. She walked in quietly gazing around his room. There wasn't much in there; Dimeria assumed it was that way so that he could get around easier. She held the 2 stones in her hand, clutching them tightly to her sides. She set them down on the table.

"Who is it?" He questioned.

"Uh, Dimeria." She answered.

A smile formed on his face. "Ah, Dimeria. I am honored by your presence, I feared you thought yourself too good to speak to me."

Dimeria let herself freely glare at the blind man from across the room. He had always taken a sarcastic, condescending tone with her that she hated, but ever since she had let Jeor and Aemon fall of out her good graces, she found that it annoyed her even more.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" Aemon asked her with a voice filled with mock politeness.

She furrowed her brow angrily and said, "I came here seeking information, but you obviously do not want me here. I will leave you to your business, whatever that may be." She said curtly, while making a move to grab the stones.

"Oh, calm yourself and take a seat. I would've expected your temper to have died down, but apparently not." Aemon had always known she would have a sharp tongue; it was in her blood, her Targaryen blood. He thought perhaps if she had never known that, she wouldn't have been too much to handle.

He was obviously wrong.

She sighed loudly knowing that he would hear her and took a seat. She placed her hands on the stones and gazed at them with wonder.

"I found something the other day, when I was escorting the recruits to take their oaths…"

"Ah yes, the White walkers." He said knowingly.

"I am not speaking of the White walkers." She said through gritted teeth, irritated with his interruption.

Aemon inhaled sharply at her growing displeasure and pursed his lips. He could not see her face, but he could tell from her voice that she was struggling to control her anger.

_The temper of Targaryens…I could not imagine what she would be like if she had stayed with her family._ He thought to himself. He made a gesture with his hands signaling her to continue.

"It was when we were attacked," she began, "I fell through thin ice into a pond."

"That is what I heard. Amazing that you survived." He said.

Dimeria took a dramatically long pause, showing her irritation. Aemon mentally rolled his eyes, knowing that to actually do so would just be strange.

"As I was saying," she said after a deep breath, "when I was in the water, I did not feel any pain. Yes, it is strange and I wonder as to why that is…" She said leaving it open for him to possibly answer her. Seeing that he offered no response, (for once) she continued,

"But it allowed me to look around in the water."

"And what did you see?" He asked.

For once, it seemed that she was not bothered by his interruption. She was happy for the chance to describe her experience. Of course, when she had gotten back from the encounter many of the men asked her what happened, but she didn't want to speak of what happened when she found the stones; she knew they would just call her crazy.

"It was incredible." She said. "I've never seen anything like it. The water was crystal clear and it seemed like I was in an entirely different world."

Aemon smiled at the awe in her voice. It had been many years since he had heard such passion come from her.

"The water seemed to be pulsing, like a drum was beating underwater. I wanted to find where it was coming from and that's where I found these…" she said placing her hands on the stones in front of her. "I thought they were just ordinary rocks, but they were glowing and I could tell they were the source of the beats."

Aemon held his hands open on the table, wanting her to place the stones in his grasp.

"I've spent the past few nights cleaning them, they were quite dirty when I grabbed them; and that's when I noticed that weren't just normal rocks. They look like…. well, you feel them." She said pushing them into his reach.

He placed his hands on them and his face automatically fell. They had small ridges covering every inch, each small bulge completely smooth. Any normal person would have described them as scales. He ran his hands all up and down them, still not quite believing what it was he held.

_Dragon eggs._ He thought to himself. It had been so many years since he last laid eyes on the rare beauties. His mind could not grasp the fact that it was Dimeria who found them. _She holds more dragon blood than I thought._

"Well…?" Dimeria said interrupting his thoughts.

"It seems you have found…dragon eggs." He said trying to show no emotion in his voice.

"I knew it." She said breathlessly.

Two actual dragon eggs, real dragons hadn't been seen for years now, not since the Mad King had been murdered. Dimeria didn't know much about the Mad King, she was still only a child when his murder came about; and even then, people at The Wall didn't speak about it around her.

"These are rare gifts, you should consider yourself lucky for finding them." He said gently pushing them back to her. "It is even stranger that you found them here in the north."

He got up then, blindly going about his business in the room. Taking that as her cue to leave, she grabbed her dragon eggs and began to walk out. She turned back to him though, looking curiously down at the eggs.

"Could these ever...hatch?" She asked him with a voice full of hope.

"It is doubtful. Dragon eggs need a dragon mother to hatch…" He said.

_Which you very well may be…_ Aemon thought to himself as she disappointedly left the room.

…

Dimeria once again sat in front of a small fire at her post on The Wall. She had been waiting for Jon for a short while, eagerly looking forward to spending time with her dear friend. They hadn't seen much of each other after their encounter with the White Walkers. He was busy with his new jobs after taking the oath and she was rather engrossed with her newfound dragon eggs to spend much time out of her quarters. Dimeria had been completely thrilled when she learned she had acquired two dragon eggs; she was ready to rush straight to Jon and tell him of her discovery, but when she found out they would never hatch, she saw no need to inform Jon of anything. Still, the eggs were special to her and she never took them out of her chambers for fear of them getting stolen.

Dimeria heard Jon's footsteps and she excitedly turned to greet him, only to realize he did not look quite as happy as she.

"What has you in such a foul mood?" She asked bluntly.

"They gave out the names of the trainees for the rangers who have taken their oaths." He told her.

"Oh, the horror!" She said mockingly. A teasing smile came on her face, but it did nothing to dispel his anger.

"I have been placed as a personal steward for Lord Commander Jeor." He said bitterly.

Dimeria bit her bottom lip at the mention of Jeor. She looked at Jon sympathetically; she knew he desired to be a ranger.

"Perhaps there was a mistake." She offered.

"You and I both know it is Alliser punishing me."

"You should speak with Maester Aemon, he may be able to do something." She suggested to him.

"I just came from speaking with him, he offered no assistance."

"Well then I don't know why you're speaking with me! I cannot change anything about the training. You might as well suck it up and learn to do as you're told!" She yelled at him.

He widened his eyes at her in surprise, but did not argue. He knew she was right; she could do nothing about the rankings even though she was technically a commander at Castle Black, but he just needed to get his frustration off his chest.

"I am sorry. I have already been stressed enough with what has happened with Benjen, becoming a steward didn't really help. I am just frustrated."

Dimeria got up then and hugged Jon tightly. The news of Jon's uncle had confused and worried everyone at The Wall, especially Jon. Benjen's horse had been seen returning to Castle Black, but there was no sign of Benjen. Dimeria released Jon, but still had her hands on his shoulders.

"Being a steward will not be that bad. Lord Commander Jeor will…he will treat you well." She told Jon. She turned away from him then, leaning against the wall to her right.

"May I ask you something?" Jon said.

"You just did." She said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean." He said with a smile. After a pause he continued, "Lord Commander and Maester Aemon are the two men who brought you here, they practically raised you. Yet you speak of them so coldly, as if you want nothing to do with them. Why is that?"

She felt her heart rate quicken as he questioned her. She never suspected that anyone would notice, or even care about the way she acted around Jeor and Aemon, but apparently Jon did.

"Because…it's because they-well…" She stuttered over the words. She suddenly found herself very hesitant to speak of their betrayal towards her. Would anyone understand her anger, why she was truly hurt from the secrets they kept? She looked into Jon's eyes and saw no judgment, only kindness. She figured if anyone would begin to understand, it would be him.

"It's because I can't bring myself to trust them, not anymore." She said sadly.

"Why is that?"

"They lied to me."

"About what?" He asked her.

"Everything! Who I am, where I'm from! They've kept secrets about my life hidden from me since I first came here."

"And that angers you?"

She spun around to him quickly, anger filling her entire being.

"Of course it does!" She spat at him, "Your father kept your mother's identity hidden from you. Did that not make you mad?!" She said coming close to tears.

"Yes! It did, but…he did it protect me, so I wouldn't go searching. Perhaps that is what Jeor and Aemon are doing!" He yelled back at her.

"I don't need protection!" She said letting the tears fall from her eyes. Dimeria turned away from him again, putting her face in her hands.

"What I **need** is to find out who I am…" She said quietly.

He put his hand on her shoulder, slowly spinning her back towards him. He took her hands away from her face and held them.

"Why does it matter so much to you? You've lived your life well here, does all that mean nothing to you?"

"It means everything to me." She said looking down. "I owe Aemon and Jeor my life, they're responsible for everything I am."

"Then why are you letting your past dictate your actions?" He asked calmly.

"Because not only are Aemon and Jeor responsible for making me what I am, but I also believe my origins are."

He looked at her with a puzzled look on his face. "Why is that?"

"You saw what happened beyond The Wall, Jon. I should have died that day when I fell in the water, but I didn't. The cold hardly affects me at all." She finally looked up into his eyes. "And this white strand of hair…it's all anyone asks me about! I obviously inherited it and…and-I'm curious as to whom I got it from!"

Dimeria sighed then, feeling utterly exhausted. "I just want to know who I am. I have a right to know, don't I?"

Jon hugged her tightly, understanding how she felt. It was an overwhelming feeling knowing that someone out there is your parent and you may never find out who they are. He ran his hand over her long dark hair trying to calm her down. He rested his cheek on her head and let her head lay on his shoulder until he felt her breathing come back under control.

"Have you ever just asked them?"

She pulled back from him and said, "They won't tell me. They believe it is too dangerous for me to know."

She looked up at him then, sadness suddenly leaving her eyes. A mischievous smirk found its way onto her face and she bit her lip in contemplation.

"What if I left to find out?" She said.

"What?"

"What if I went and found my parents?" She asked excitedly.

"You can't just…leave." He said. Concern for Dimeria filled his mind and his sole focus was trying to get her to think straight.

"Yes I can! I've never taken the oath like you have, I can come and go as I please!" Dimeria's eyes sparkled with delight at her sudden realization. She looked back to Jon and eyed him curiously.

"What? Aren't you happy for me?"

He sighed audibly and stepped closer to her. "Maybe you shouldn't go. It could be dangerous."

"Oh please, you're beginning to sound like Aemon and Jeor." She snapped at him as she stepped away.

"Dimeria, I want you to find out who your parents are, believe me, I do. It's just, you've never been out there before, and you don't know what could happen to you."

She closed her eyes realizing that he was right. She didn't know anything of the outside world, let alone where anything was. She would be more lost than a small child without his or her mother out there.

"I need to find out though, Jon. I have a right to know. If I don't ever find out I could never live with myself."

He stepped forward and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her braid behind her ear.

"I know. Will you promise me one thing?" He asked her.

"Of course."

"Don't leave yet. Go to Jeor and Aemon, perhaps they will tell you everything. If they do, then you won't have to leave."

Dimeria opened her mouth to protest, but he put his finger to her lips stopping her.

"Promise me, okay? Just promise me that one thing." He said urgently.

"I promise." She said quietly.

He closed his eyes and thanked her with a warm embrace. She hugged him back, thankful that she had a friend such as him. They spent the rest of the night enjoying each other's company as they normally did. Dimeria tried to remember each happy moment she had with him, reveling in the friendship they had; for she knew that it would only be a matter a time before she left him.

…

Dimeria walked into the dining hall simply looking for something to eat. Instead, she greeted by Jon holding a blade to Alliser Thorne's throat. She rushed over to the scene, yelling at Jon to stop.

"Put the blade down, Jon!" She urged him. He removed the blade and glared at the still smirking Alliser.

"Speak one more word against my father, and I swear…"

"Snow!" A loud voice interrupted Jon's threat. Everyone turned to see Lord Commander Jeor coming towards them with an unhappy look upon his face. Dimeria forced herself to stifle a groan at the sight of and she quickly looked down at the ground.

Jeor quickly dismissed Alliser and other spectators from the dining hall, leaving only Jon and Dimeria with him. Jeor had meant for Dimeria to follow the other guards, but after seeing the stubborn look on her face, he decided not to press the issue. He discussed the incident with both of them, using Dimeria as a witness to the event.

"You're confined to your quarters, Jon. For the rest of the night." With that, the Lord Commander walked away.

Jon turned away and swatted a mug from the table in anger. Dimeria looked on at him with concern, but suddenly felt a bubble of laughter float its way up through her mouth. Jon turned to her incredulously not understanding where she was finding humor, but after a moment, joined in.

"I believe he may have pissed his trousers." She laughed loudly.

"It may improve his smell." Jon said. They continued laughing until their stomach muscles ached in protest.

"I suppose I should go to my chambers, then." He said.

"I will walk you there." Dimeria said with a smile. They walked in silence until Jon asked:

"Have you spoken with Aemon and Jeor?"

She took a deep breath before answering. Honestly, she had never planned on speaking with them at all; she intended to sneak away from The Wall without anyone knowing. She looked at Jon though and was reminded of the promise she made to him. She began wondering how she let herself become this way with Jon: vulnerable. Dimeria made it her mission to keep everyone she met at arm's length, yet here she was allowing herself to become close to him; to actually show her emotions with him. She thought of how Jon would feel if he ever found out she had broken her promise and she decided she could handle the disappointment he would have in her.

"No, I have not spoken with them. I will, though…soon, I hope."

He only nodded in response, still not feeling comfortable with her leaving. He never thought he would ever become close friends with Dimeria, he never thought she would allow for that to happen, but ever since that night where Lord Tyrion hand mentioned a special 'bastard bond', they had been inseparable. It was not a romantic relationship, he knew she would never let it go that far, but he could not deny how easily it would be for him to fancy her in that respect.

They came to his chambers and Dimeria surprised him by giving him a tight hug.

"I'm sorry about your father, Jon. And for your uncle and your brother and just…everything that has happened."

"Why are you saying this?" He asked her.

"You're the only true friend I've ever had and I don't think I will ever another such as you. I just wanted to make sure you know that…and that you'll always remember it."

"I will." He reassured her. She nodded her thanks and walked away, her white strand of hair blowing in the wind. Jon knew why Dimeria had said those things; he knew that she planned on leaving soon; he just wished he could change her mind.

_**So there ya go! I hope you liked this chapter, I really enjoyed writing the scenes with Jon and Dimeria; I feel like it really captured their friendship.**_

_**Please let me know what you think…your reviews keep me going!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: So here's the next part! I really enjoyed this one and I think it's one of my best. Remember to let me know what you think!**_

Dimeria held the dragon eggs in her palms, gazing at then intently. Never had she seen such beauty, such exquisite creations. They shimmered blue and silver, changing colors in the candlelight. It was such a disappointment that they would never hatch into the majestic beings she knew they could be, but at the same time, the eggs were truly a treasure. She carefully placed them in her pack along with several pairs of trousers and tunics. She would be leaving that night, whether Aemon and Jeor told her of her past or not, she would be leaving Castle Black. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror.

Did she resemble her mother? She wondered.

Or perhaps her father…

She closed her eyes in anticipation; she would know soon, soon she would find her parents. She tucked her white strand of hair behind her ear.

_And soon I will know where this comes from…_ She laughed at the thought. Dimeria stepped out with her pack and her cowl drawn close to her face. The night was cold; not that she cared, she never felt the cold bite of the wind. Another mystery she hoped she would solve when she found her parents. She was headed towards Lord Commander Jeor's chambers to speak with him about her past; she intended to keep her promise to Jon about talking to them.

The night was still, eerily so. Most of the men were taking extra shifts on The Wall ever since 2 of Benjen's men had been found dead, but still no sign of Benjen himself. She came to Jeor's chambers and knocked.

"Jeor?" She called, forgetting to use his proper title. She was too anxious to finally leave.

"Hello! Jeor…?" She said pushing the door open herself. A loud crash sounded from within and she quickly ran inside. Her eyes widened when she saw Jon Snow being shoved up against a wall, having the live choked out of him. Confusion washed over her mind.

_Why would Jeor be attacking Jon?_

Dimeria ran up grasping Jeor by the shoulders and pulling him back, only to realize it wasn't Jeor.

Another White Walker.

"By the Gods…" She breathed out.

Not having time to draw her weapons, the White Walker backhanded her across the face, sending her sprawling across the floor. Once Jon had recovered his breath, he drew his own sword and stabbed the large undead man through the chest; not that it did any good, the White walker seemed to have no response. Dimeria pushed herself up and rubbed her hand across her cheek, it was already starting to swell. Terror coursed through every inch of her body. Three White Walkers in one week, how was this even possible? Her heart pounded in her chest so loud that she thought it would burst out. She shakily drew her sword out if it's sheath, only to replace it. Blades would do nothing against this foe. Fire. She needed fire. Jon was still stabbing and cutting the White Walker, but was tiring quickly. As if hearing Dimeria's silent plea, Jeor rushed in holding an oil lamp in his hand. She stumbled over to Jeor, quickly grabbing the lamp from him.

"Jon, move!" She screamed at him.

Jon quickly dove to the side seeing the lamp in Dimeria's hand. She launched the lamp at the White Walker and it quickly turned into a large mass of fiery inferno. The three ran from the room, letting the beast come to its flame-filled demise. They went straight to Maester Aemon's chambers where the other dead body was being held for inspection. Lord Commander Jeor immediately told him to burn the body, for he knew that it would rise to cause terror at Castle Black.

"Dimeria, your hand." Jon said seriously while grabbing Dimeria's wrist to inspect the hand in which she had grabbed the oil lamp with.

But it was fine.

No damage could be seen, whatsoever. Her hand wasn't even hot from the flames, but cold; ice cold. She drew her hand away and met his stunned gaze. She could offer no response, so she just shook her head and shrugged. He sighed knowing that the anomaly would only increase her drive to leave and find her parents, nothing that Jon did could keep her at The Wall, nothing at all.

After they burned the other body and put the flames out, Dimeria, Jon, and Jeor all gathered back in Maester Aemon's room.

"I would usually punish those that left their quarters when they were supposed to be confined to them, but it seems as though I owe you a great deal of gratitude. I would have been dead if you had not shown up." Jeor said to Jon, "And you as well, Dimeria." He said acknowledging her.

"It was Ghost, really. He had been scratching at my door; he knew something was happening, something bad." Jon said.

"Well then give your dog a pat on the head for me!" Jeor laughed.

"Dire wolf." Dimeria said bitterly as she rolled her eyes at him.

Jon bit the inside of his cheek trying to stifle a laugh at her rude comment. Jeor dismissed her remark and eyed her curiously.

"What were you doing at my chambers, may I ask?" He said to Dimeria.

Dimeria took a deep breath before answering, "I hoped to speak with you about something, to you and Maester Aemon, actually."

"Well, we are both here. What is on your mind?" Aemon asked her.

Before she could begin, Jon looked to Dimeria and asked, "Would you like me to stay?"

"It would not matter either way…" Dimeria said dismissively. She wanted to get this over with so she could depart. Jon remained in his seat, hoping his presence would be enough to show Dimeria that he supported her decision even though he was scared for her.

Dimeria felt a slight tingling in her fingertips. She had never spoken with Aemon and Jeor about her parents before, and here she was, getting ready to tell them that she not only wanted to know everything, but that she was also setting off the find them. She bit her lip in contemplation. She wasn't quite sure how she should word everything. For the first time, she felt unsure about finding things out about her past. And she was just assuming they would tell her, what if they didn't? What if they told her nothing and she had to discover everything on her own? The thought excited just as much as it frightened her. Deciding it was now or never, she took a deep breath,

"I want to know about my parents." She spoke quickly. She hadn't noticed that she had clenched her hands together out of anxiety. She released her tight grip and stretched her sore muscles.

She looked at Aemon and Jeor and already knew things weren't going well. Both of them had drawn their lips together in taut lines and wore grim expressions upon their faces.

"Dimeria," Jeor began, "there is a reason we never told you about your parents…"

"And there is a reason why I want to know now!" She said desperately.

Maester Aemon took a deep breath and folded his hands on the table. He always hoped this day would never come; yet here it was before him, demanding that he give an answer.

"My girl, there are some things that we are not meant to know. Knowledge is valuable, but ignorance can also keep you safe." He told her.

"It is my right to know, they are my parents; they brought me into this world!" She said raising her voice. "Why must you insist on keeping this from me?!"

Jeor clenched his jaws. "It is for your own good, Dimeria." He said through gritted teeth.

"Tell me." She demanded.

"No." Aemon and Jeor said together.

Jon continued to sit there at the table, looking down and holding his breath. He knew it would come to this, to Dimeria demanding information, but not getting it. He wanted Dimeria to know of her past, he really did, but another part of him wanted her to stay at The Night's Watch. She didn't know what was out there in the real world, not really. It may not seem like it to her, but Dimeria had been sheltered her entire life from the troubles that continuously circled about out there. He looked to Dimeria and saw her set her jaw in determination.

"Fine." She said. "Then I shall find out myself."

Jon closed his eyes. There it was, she had finally said it.

"What do you mean?" Jeor asked, getting quite flustered.

"If you will not tell me, I will find out the truth myself."

If Aemon had been able to see, he would have seen the intent look upon her face and the spark of anger behind her eyes. Dimeria was a force to be reckoned with when she set her mind on something and Aemon and Jeor were not handling the situation well.

"You do not know what you are getting yourself into. There was a reason you were given to us and…"

"What reason is that?" Dimeria asked excitedly, getting the first hint she had ever gotten from Jeor of her past. Jeor pursed his lips as he realized he had almost slipped up.

"Fine," he said, "if you wish to go…then go." He said with finality. Jon jerked his head in surprise.

"You would let her go so easily?" He asked.

"She is not the first I have allowed to leave my watch because of blind ambitions. It is her dishonor, not mine." Jeor said pompously.

"Dishonor…?" Dimeria breathed out angrily. She narrowed her eyes dangerously at Jeor, causing him to break his proud façade. Her cold blue eyes settled on him…if looks could kill then Dimeria was certainly succeeding, for Jeor felt a terrified lump form in his throat, making it difficult for him to swallow.

Jon quickly grabbed Dimeria's arm and led her out.

"Come on." He said to her. As soon as they came outside, she jerked her arm away from him. Her heart pounded from anger and at the same time, exhilaration.

She had done it.

She was finally leaving Castle Black.

She turned back to Jon who had a sad look upon his face. He looked to Dimeria and noticed her guilty gaze, so he replaced his sad demeanor and smiled.

"Come, I will see you out."

…

"I knew it. I knew we should have told her all those years ago." Jeor paced in Maester Aemon's room. "Now look at what has happened…she is leaving!"

"There is nothing we could have done. The signs were there, becoming more apparent every day. She has more dragon blood than either of us could have anticipated." Aemon said.

"What are we going to do?"

"We can't do anything. Dimeria has taken her life into her own hands and is therefore responsible for her own actions. We can only wait and hope she comes out of it unscathed."

"I fear for her." Jeor admitted.

"As do I. Trouble is stirring up and she could end up in the middle of it." Aemon said softly. "If people find out she is a Targaryen…"

"Perhaps they will not find out. She is only half…"

Aemon shook his head doubtfully. The girl found dragon eggs, what more evidence could there be to say she was of the dragon bloodline?

_Unless they were to hatch…_ He thought to himself. He shook is head once more. _No. It is not possible she is a dragon mother. Is it?_

…

"Send a raven when you can." Jon said to her. They were finishing readying her horse for her journey. The time was upon them now and Jon couldn't help but feel a painful tugging at his heart at the sight of her leaving.

"I will." She promised him. She set her pack on her horse, making sure her dragon eggs were tucked safely away. Dimeria stepped back and looked up at Jon. They immediately embraced each other, both holding on tightly. Dimeria closed her eyes and breathed into his shoulder. She would miss him dearly and she suddenly felt a longing to stay with him at The Wall, but she knew she couldn't do that. It was time to find out who she was. She inhaled his scent, trying to memorize everything about him; she knew it would a long time for she ever saw him again, possibly years.

Jon held her close and forced himself to hold in his tears, for he knew that she would shed none. Whether he believed in the gods, old or new, he planned to pray to them for Dimeria to have safe travels.

"I guess this is goodbye." She spoke into his shoulder.

"Only for now. We will see each other again." He said pulling back. She smiled up at him and placed the white streak of hair behind her ear, it always seemed to be falling out of place.

"Stay safe." He told her. She nodded and mounted her horse. He stayed to the side and walked her to the large doors leading outside of The Wall.

"Hey," He said looking up, "When you find your parents, make sure you give them hell for missing the first 21 years of your life."

"Of course." She said with a mischievous smile.

He patted her horse from behind and watched them speed off into the night.

She was gone.

Like a leaf floating in the breeze, or a shadow disappearing from sight; she was gone. He watched until she merged with the blackness of midnight and was completely out of view.

_Stay safe_…he prayed silently.

…

She was a black arrow through the dark night, a cold breeze in the night sky; she was speed and darkness, travelling the new path before her. Dimeria didn't know where she was going, only that she was leaving The Wall. The wind bit at her face as she rode on faster and faster, guiding her horse until the animal demanded rest. The exhilaration of freedom coursed through her veins and electricity buzzed her nerves. She needed no sleep, her eyes never grew weary; she needed no guidance, her heart seemed to know exactly where she was.

_South to King's Landing_ she told herself, _Lord Tyrion said I would always be welcome there._

And south she went, riding through thick forests and rocky paths; nothing could stop her, nothing.

It was late at night and she slowed her horse down to an easy trot. The land was uneven here, making it more difficult and strenuous. Dimeria looked up to the sky and smiled at the billions of stars that twinkled down upon her. The absolute jubilation she felt when she left The Wall still lingered in her mind, giving her a rush of happiness and a slight tingling to her head. Her chest felt tight as she held in her joy, but then she laughed to herself realizing how ridiculous that was. Why should she hide it? She stopped her horse and dismounted it. Looking up to the sky, she cheered loudly, releasing the tension and build up she had held onto for years. She raised her arms up, stretching them as high into the heavens as she pleased.

A dull ache started in her cheek and she quickly realized how much she had been smiling. She brought her hand up to massage her sore face and winced when she felt the large bump that rested on her cheek. Dimeria was instantly reminded of the White Walker that had struck her and couldn't help but think of Jon. It had only been a week at least since she had left; she wondered what was going on there. Did they miss her, or did they simply continue on with their lives? She looked around at her surroundings and felt a humbling feeling rest upon her shoulders. They probably did not miss her; after all, she was only one person in such a large world…she had just never known how large it was.

"And who do we have here?" A voice sounded.

Dimeria spun quickly and found herself facing 4 men, four **armed **men.

"Now what's a pretty girl like you doing out in the woods by herself?" One of them asked.

"Probably running from her husband, look at the nasty bruise on her face." Another laughed pointing at her cheek.

Dimeria said nothing, but glared harshly, bringing ugly smirks upon their faces.

"How about you come with us…" One said while coming forward to grab her.

On instinct, she drew her sword from its sheath and pointed it at his throat. The man backed away with raised arms, but still kept a grin on his face.

"This one's got fire, she does!" He said to his other 3 comrades. They laughed along with him and one man, presumably their leader, said:

"Disarm her, but don't hurt her…we wouldn't want to ruin that pretty face of hers."

A twinkle in Dimeria's blue eyes shone brightly, how she loved to battle! She brought her sword away from the first one's throat and began circling around, never turning her back on her three enemies. The man to her right lunged then and she easily deflected, a smile coming to her face. She continued spinning to her right and then swung downwards on his weapon, pointing it straight to the ground. Using her right leg, she stomped on the man's hand causing him to drop his blade and she kicked it away. He gripped his hand in pain and she proceeded to use the handle of her sword to pound him on the back of his head, knocking him unconscious.

Her horse had since then tried to bolt, but the fourth man; the one not engaged in fighting, stopped it and calmed it down.

"Impressive…" One of the men still facing her said. The next two came at her simultaneously, so she dropped down and tumbled in between them. She quickly recovered and with their momentum still moving forward, she kicked one of them in the back of his knee knocking him flat on his face. Once again, she pounded the handle of her weapon on the back of his head and he, too, was unconscious.

The third man, completely enraged at how easily she was fighting them, ran at her furiously with a battle cry escaping his lips. Almost laughing at how ridiculous he looked, Dimeria stepped to the side and lifted her foot out, tripping the man. One last time she brought the handle of her blade down upon his head.

She shook her head and laughed, forgetting about the fourth man.

"That was quite a show." He said to her back. She quickly turned around with her sword held before her defensively. He also had his sword drawn by now.

"I must say I'm a little disappointed…that was almost way too easy." Dimeria said.

"I suppose I'll have to train more warriors." He said to her. "I should introduce myself…Theon Greyjoy, of House Greyjoy."

"I'm not exactly sorry to say that I don't care for who you are, I suspect I'll never see you again." Dimeria replied bitterly. Not only did Dimeria not care who he was, but also she really had no clue. Names of house and nobles meant nothing to her, but of course, he didn't know that; no one knew who she was.

"And why is that?"

"Because I plan to disarm you just as I have your men and then be on my way. It would be much easier for you if you would just let me pass." She said with a smirk.

"Ah, but I care to know who you are. You are quite a beautiful sight and amazing to watch fight...and that white streak of hair, where on earth did that come from?!"

_That's what I'm trying to figure out…_ She thought to herself angrily.

"The men back at camp would love to lay eyes on you, or perhaps just lay on you. Although I can't blame them, I would love to do the same." He smiled dangerously at her and Dimeria felt herself flush in anger.

"I don't think so." She said hatefully as she lunged at him. They exchanged several blows, neither of them gaining any advantage. This Theon man was clearly more skilled than his companions. They backed away from each other once more, both eyeing one another carefully. Dimeria realized that her advantage was her speed, if she could find an opening; she knew she would be able to disarm him and get away.

"You must tell me where you've trained, I've never seen a woman fight like you." He taunted her.

"It's a private place, only the best are welcome." She lied. Truthfully, anyone could go to The Wall, but she felt as if she should keep everything about herself hidden.

"Are you sure you don't want to tell my your name before I capture you?" He asked her, faking sweetness.

"Positive." She said almost growling.

"Pity."

She readied herself to fight Theon once more, but instead felt the handle of a sword pound into **her** head and her head immediately became dizzy and light. Trying to overcome the immense weight that was clouding over her mind, she fell to her knees and tried to steady herself. She looked up and saw a smirking Theon standing over her.

And then she descended into darkness.

_**AGH! So Dimeria has finally left The Wall and is now in the clutches of Theon Greyjoy…hmmm.**_

_**I hope you guys liked this one and thank you to everyone who has favorited and reviewed! PLEASE let me know what you think and leave reviews! Until next time…**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: FORTY FOLLOWERS! I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but it makes me happy. Thanks so much for the favorites and thank you to **__**the-black-feathers **__**and**__** guest**__** for reviewing!**_

_** I hope you enjoy this next part **_

Her head throbbed immensely, she hadn't felt such pain since she slipped up during her training with Jeor and he hit her in the head with a wooden sword. She groaned slightly and felt her head roll about on her shoulders. She felt the steady pace of the trotting hooves of her horse beneath her and the warm breath of someone behind her. She let her head tip back onto their chest; just to be sure she wasn't imagining things. Sure enough, she felt the sturdy metal of a chest plate on the back of her head.

"Ah, you're awake." She heard a familiar taunting voice behind her. "Just in time too, we've arrived at camp."

Ignoring the stabbing pain in her head, she forced herself to look at her surroundings. Hundreds of tents were set up; all bearing flags adorned with wolves, men from the north if she remembered correctly. Black spots still clouded her vision, but she blinked them away. Many men stopped and stared attentively as the horse walked by. Dimeria was certainly accustomed to the stares of men, but this felt different. She was no longer in the security of Castle Black, the only home she had ever known. No, she was captured by men she had never seen before and it seemed as though they could see right through her. She straightened her spine and forced a brave look on her face. She certainly didn't feel brave though; she felt insecure, anxious, and scared…definitely scared. Dimeria had fallen under the impression that her quest would be easy and swift; how completely wrong she was. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and held her head high; these men would never know how she truly felt, not if she had a say.

The man behind her brought the horse to a stop and dismounted. Dimeria looked down and felt disgust rush through as she saw it was Theon that had been behind her. She glared down at him as he offered his assistance to help her off the horse. She would have completely rejected, but seeing as her hands were bound behind her back, she didn't have much of a choice. He placed his hands on her waist and couldn't help but smirk as he felt her tense her muscles, a man obviously had never touched her.

"I must say, I never thought it would be so difficult to capture a woman before. You seemed to put up a fight even when you were knocked out." Theon said to her as she touched the ground.

"Perhaps we will have a rematch one day. A fight where you will not have the assistance of your incompetent men." She said with a smirk.

He couldn't help but chuckle at her remark. Even in the hands of the enemy, this one would not go down easily. He pushed her along towards the largest tent in the encampment. She gazed curiously at the guards who stopped Theon before letting them in.

"We captured her in the forest, although she put up quite a fight." He gestured back to his 3 comrades who cautiously kept their distance. A sly grin found its way onto her face and she felt a surge of pride enter her chest.

The guard nodded his consent before casting a sidelong glance at Dimeria. As she entered the tent she saw at least a dozen people leaning over a large table in the center of the space. They all seemed to be fussing over a map on the table that was covered with small pieces in the shapes of wolves and lions. Her interest piqued, she peered over the shoulder of the man at the head of the table. She saw that there were many more lion figurines than there were wolves and raised her brows wanting to know more.

"Hm, you all seem outnumbered by lions…that could be problematic." She said drawing everyone's attention towards her.

They all quickly turned and drew their swords, ready to attack their intruder. She felt annoyance bubble within and said,

"Oh, calm down…my hands are already bound." She said impudently.

They replaced their weapons and gazed at her suspiciously. Dimeria placed a nonchalant expression on her face, but on the inside she felt as if her stomach was twisting into knots. Holding her breath, she held up her chin boldly.

"What is going on, Greyjoy?" The young man at the head of the table asked. He ran his hand through his curly auburn hair and sighed audibly. He looked young, but it seemed as if his experiences had aged him greatly. His blue eyes seemed tired and dark circles encompassed his lower lids.

"Well, the boys and I were doing our patrols like you told us to and that's where we saw her. Not really sure what she was doing, she was…cheering or something."

Dimeria bit her lip and felt her cheeks turn hot. She hadn't thought anyone would have seen her shouting for joy; that was a stupid mistake.

"Anyway, she was by herself so we thought that…we should uh, well…" Theon paused knowing that most of the people present didn't approve of his promiscuous ways.

"Well, ya know."

The young man rolled his dull blue eyes and waved his hands for Theon to continue.

"So we went up to her not expecting any real struggle, but we got one. She disarmed the others I was with like it was nothing…incredible for a girl, really. If it weren't for one of the guys waking up and knocking her out, she would have gotten away."

"Ah, so you admit I had you beat." Dimeria interrupted with an arrogant grin. Theon raised his brows and tilted his head as if Dimeria's comment only proved his point of how fierce she was.

A large man grunted to the side. He had a thick peppered beard and what looked like crazed eyes to Dimeria.

"What're ya going to do with her, Robb?" He asked with a gruff voice.

"Robb? Robb Stark?" Dimeria interjected.

The man with curly auburn hair and regarded her curiously. This girl was certainly from the north, but he had never seen her before in his life; how did she know him?

"Yes…" He said slowly.

"How do you know of him, girl!?" She large man shouted loudly at her. The man she assumed was Robb calmed him down before turning to her again.

"Lord Umber, calm yourself…well?" Robb inquired.

"I know your brother, Jon Snow…he spoke about you to me."

"Jon Snow has taken the Black. He's a Night's Watchman at The Wall, you cannot know him." Robb told her.

"I can actually…that was my home."

"Your home? You were raised on The Wall?" Robb asked with a stunned look on his face.

Many comments arose from the other men in the tent, doubting her claim. Theon was the first ask her a direct question:

"How could you have been raised on The Wall, the men their cannot father children."

"I am a bastard child. The Lord Commander found me when I was a baby as he was picking up convicts to take the Oath."

Everyone looked at her incredulously. Dimeria didn't blame them, now that she heard her own story aloud, it sounded quite strange.

"Look, I have never taken the vows that everyone else takes at The Wall. That's why I was able to leave." She said desperately. Fear had wiggled its way into her mind, frightening her into thinking that the men were going to send her straight back to Castle Black. She began twisting her hands in their binds, wishing she was free of them.

"And where exactly are you going?" Robb Stark asked her.

Dimeria sighed greatly then, deciding she wasn't going to let these men boss her around. She stretched her arms as best she could and said with great exaggeration:

"Oh, I would love to tell you, but these binds are quite uncomfortable. I can't bring myself to think through the pain!"

Robb Stark stifled an irritated sigh, but didn't bother to hide rolling his eyes. He nodded at Theon who had been chuckling at her remark to cut her binds.

Dimeria smiled sweetly at him, bringing another amused smirk to Theon's face. This girl was definitely putting on a show for him. After stretching out her arms, she continued with her story.

"I was heading south before your poorly trained men attacked me." She said disrespectfully. Theon scoffed at her remark, but made no move to argue; he knew better than anyone that the 3 other men fought awfully.

"Aye, so you're siding with the Lannisters then!" The man called Lord Umber accused her.

"My loyalty lies with no one, but myself!" She shouted at him. Anger coursed throughout her body and she felt her throat tighten up with resentment. These men had no idea who she was (and neither did she) and they had the nerve to accuse her of things she had no knowledge of. Her cold blue eyes bore into the men, daring them to anger her even more. She knew she needed to explain herself, but she didn't trust these men; she didn't want to tell them what it was that she was after.

"I'm heading south for information. I have no loyalty to any army in whatever war you're fighting. Please, just let me go." She pleaded with them.

Robb Stark almost seemed to consider it for a moment, but the girl intrigued him. What information could she be looking for? He had noticed earlier that she had no knowledge of what the figurines on the map symbolized, perhaps she was just looking to inform herself. In that case, she wouldn't be that dangerous. Then again, she could just be lying and trying to get back to the Lannister encampment, with that being a possibility, it was extremely hazardous to release her. Rob sighed once again; he seemed to be doing that a lot more these days.

"What is your name?" He asked her.

No answer. Dimeria narrowed her eyes slightly, letting him know that she wasn't going to tell him. She mentally rolled her eyes at herself, how could she have been so reckless? Cheering in the middle of the woods? She wasn't at The Wall anymore; she couldn't afford to be so careless like that.

Robb continued to stare at her intently. Her blue eyes reminded him of large sapphires, deep and hypnotizing. The longer he stared, the more lost he got in them.

"My Lord?" Lord Umber stole Robb's attention way from the girl, allowing him to think clearly again.

"Set up a tent for her, station guards at the entrance…do not let her leave." He said sternly to Theon.

Dimeria's eyes widened in fury and she jerked violently as Theon quickly pinned her arms behind her back.

"You can't do this! Just let me go!" She screamed.

Her angry protests did nothing to loosen Theon's tight grip as he nodded at another guard to bind her wrists again, for he knew she would try to make a break for it. Tears rimmed her eyes, but she forced them back; she didn't want to show weakness.

As she waited for the men to set up her tent, she finally managed to calm herself down. Theon still had a vice-like grip on her arms and she felt as if her blood was boiling. Once the tent was up, he forcefully shoved her in there and laughed as she stumbled. With an evil grin he left the tent and reminded the guards to not let her leave the tent.

Dimeria angrily kicked over a chair that had been left at a small table. She sat on the bed and painfully rubbed at her wrists, which had been rubbed raw from the tightly wrapped ropes. She scolded herself for her ignorance. She should've known that her journey wasn't going to be easy, yet she didn't prepare herself for any struggles, and now Robb Stark's army captured her.

She tried to think back to Jon's words of his half-brother. Why was Robb even out here for battle? Again, she scolded herself. She should have at least educated herself with the events of the outside world, but she didn't. She never cared for politics or what other people were doing; she only cared about what concerned her. Apparently that's not how the outside world worked.

Dimeria forced herself to take calming breaths. She could get out of this, she could. She just needed to be smart and she needed some time. She was only one prisoner, surely they wouldn't care that much if she managed to escape. She looked up as she heard the entrance of her tent flap open. She did her best to hide her surprise when she saw that it was Robb Stark.

Once again Robb found himself lost in Dimeria's blue eyes as she looked up at him. He had his mother's Tully blue eyes, but she had eyes that sparkled brighter than stars in the night sky; he couldn't bring himself to stop looking at them. She stood then, with a suspicious look on her face.

"I, uh-I just wanted to tell you that…you're not my prisoner. I won't be treating you like I usually would our prisoners." He told her, bringing his mind back to reality.

She raised her brows questioningly, not believing a word he was saying.

"If I'm not your prisoner, why won't you let me go?"

"I can't risk it. I don't know what you might tell the Lannisters if I let you go."

"I won't tell them anything! I don't even know what I would tell them, I know nothing of what is going on!" She yelled with frustration.

Confusion showed plainly on Robb's face. How did she not know? He made a mental note to ask her of her life on The Wall. Her life certainly must have been interesting. No mother, no septa…she would have been the only female at Castle Black, he realized.

_No wonder she is so guarded._ He thought to himself.

"If you need anything, just ask one of the guards outside. They'll come and get me." He said to her.

Dimeria closed her eyes in disappointment. She tried telling herself she was lucky; Robb could have her chained up to a post like a normal prisoner. A thought struck her then and she quickly called to Robb to come back.

"Where is my pack?" She asked him urgently.

"I'm not going to give you your weapons back." He said shaking his head.

"I don't want my weapons," she snapped at him, "I have things in my pack and they're special to me."

He shrugged his shoulders, not understanding what it was she was getting at. She sighed and said,

"Could you just make sure your brutes of men don't do anything to my pack?"

"I can bring you your bag, but I have to keep your weapon." He said sternly.

"Fine." She growled more than spoke.

He turned to leave and Dimeria thought of something else she needed. She called him back and he turned with irritation clear on his face. He noticed that she had suddenly gotten very sheepish and she clenched her fists nervously. He softened his visage and waited for her to speak, she was obviously uncomfortable and he felt badly for her.

"I…well, I promised your brother I would send a raven when I could. I expected to be travelling at this time, but since I am not… do you think I could write to him?"

Robb felt the corners of his mouth turn upwards. She obviously cared for Jon and he wondered what type of relationship they had.

"Only if you do something for me." He said with a slight smile.

She furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes again.

"Will you tell me your name?" He asked sincerely.

Relief flushed through her heart through at his request. She was worried he would ask her to do something she didn't want to do. She shuddered at the thought of someone touching her in that sense. Dimeria was never fazed when the men at Castle Black taunted her, but she was absolutely terrified of what would happen if she were forced to pleasure a man sexually, she had never had any sort of relationship of that type. At The Wall, she had been able to defend herself, but she was a prisoner here…they could do whatever they wanted to her, technically.

"Dimeria."

Robb smiled a smile that seemed to sparkle brighter than diamonds.

"What, no surname?" He asked kindly.

"I have a surname." Dimeria replied coolly. "I just…"

"Say no more, you do not have to tell me." He said continuing to smile at her. She smiled back at him as she realized his kindness reminded her of Jon. It was fitting that they were brothers, even if it was just by half.

"I will have someone bring you ink and parchment tomorrow morning along with your pack. You should get some rest." Robb said gently.

"Thank you, Robb-Uh, Lord…Stark." She said trying to remember her manners. That was one of the few things that Aemon had bothered to teach her that usually a Septa would have taught.

"Robb is fine." He reassured her with another smile.

Dimeria returned the smile and nervously tucked the loose strand of white hair behind her ear. Robb stared at it curiously, noticing it for the first time. Dimeria bit her lip, conscious of Robb's gaze. Instead of saying anything though, he just bid her good night and quietly walked out.

Walking to back to her bed, she sat down and yawned heavily. It had been several nights since she had gotten a full night's sleep, she intended on making the best of her captivity and catching up on her rest. She released her hair from the messy braid it was in and laid back, letting her mind wander. It drifted back to Castle Black; the white snow covering every inch of ground, the wooden ramps thumping with every footstep, the long ride up to her post on The Wall; it all came back to her like the cold wind that used to constantly blow in her face.

She felt her eyelids drooping heavily as she remembered the good times, though they were few, she had at Castle Black. She always enjoyed training the recruits, the rush of superiority she felt when they tried to snap at her. Most of her memories included Jon, though. She laughed and smiled to herself as she rolled over on her side.

_Apparently I won't be rid of the Starks as easily as I thought._ She said to herself.

Her smile didn't leave her face as she thought of the words Jon said to her as he described his family. He loved them so much; she remembered thinking how hard it must have been to leave them. She recalled how close Jon said he was to Robb, how it really felt like they were actual brothers. Jon had told Dimeria so much of Robb and now she found herself in the curious position of actually meeting him; although she regretted the terms in which they had stumbled upon each other. She weirdly felt as if she knew Robb already.

She smiled to herself again before she let sleep claim her as she realized there was one thing Jon never mentioned about Robb.

He never mentioned how handsome Robb was.

_**Now Dimeria has met the infamous Robb Stark! **_

_**Hope you guys liked this chapter, remember to leave reviews…they motivate me to write faster!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N: Here's the next part! Thank you so much for the new favorites and follows, you all are awesome! A special thanks to **__**ratherbereading125**__** for reviewing, I love hearing from you guys!**_

Dimeria woke to rays of sunshine streaming on her face. The sun was already high in sky; she had certainly slept for many more hours than she normally would have. She sat up and stretched her limbs; releasing the tension from her body and feeling warm blood flow all over. She looked to the side and smiled when she saw that Robb Stark had already brought her materials to write a letter to Jon and her pack. With a sense of urgency, she jumped from her bed and checked her bag to make sure all was in order. She saw her dragon eggs and felt very much reassured and even thankful that Robb hadn't let anything happen to her belongings. She carefully removed the shimmering eggs from her pack and gazed at them longingly; she desperately wished they would hatch, but she knew it was impossible. With a heavy drop of her heart, she placed the 2 eggs on the small desk along with the ink and parchment.

She sat at the desk and bit her lip in contemplation. She wanted to tell everything of her journey to Jon, but could she trust Robb's men enough to not read her letter?

_Of course I can't…_ She thought to herself, but what other choice did she have?

She grabbed the quill and readied herself to write.

_** Dear Jon,**_

_**I never expected to be writing to you this soon, I figured I would still be riding hard and fast to the south, but I fear you were right about me:**_

_** I know nothing of the outside world.**_

_**Do you remember all the times you told me about your family? Well, I find myself in the unique position of having met your brother, Robb. I was no more than 3 days ride from Castle Black and a few of his patrol men found me alone in the forest. Theon Greyjoy, your ward, I believe. They wanted to take me back to camp with them to—well, I believe you understand, but I did not go without a fight. Unfortunately, one of his men, whom I believed to be unconscious, came up behind me and knocked me out; I woke up and found myself in your brother's encampment. **_

_** I do not know why he has an army or whom it is he is fighting; I don't particularly care, but they fear that if they let me go, I will go to their enemy and betray them. I'm not sure why they say I'll 'betray' them, I'm not loyal to anyone except myself, but they are keeping me captive. Your brother, Robb, says I am not his prisoner, but I feel as if I am. I am currently being kept under constant watch so that I cannot leave. **_

_** Do not worry for me though; your brother treats me well…he does not harm me like I fear the others wish to do. His kindness reminds me so much of you, in the few moments I have spoken with him, I can already tell he is very honorable. Even though you are not fully related, you both truly seem like brothers. I miss you dearly and I hope that the next time I write to you, I will be further south and closer to finding my parents. **_

_** Pray to the Seven for me, for I pray for you.**_

_**Yours truly,**_

_** Dimeria Boreas**_

She put her quill down and massaged her aching hand as she read over her letter. She rolled her eyes at how affectionate she sounded, she normally would never reveal that side of herself, but she knew she could trust Jon. After sealing her letter, she went outside her tent to ask one of the guards to find Robb. The sunlight assaulted her eyes and she squinted them tightly as she tried to adjust to the harsh light change.

"Where do you think you're going?" The guard to her right asked her as he stepped in front of her to block her path.

She looked up while shielding her eyes; the sun had never shone this bright at The Wall, the clouds blocked everything.

"Will you get Robb-um, Lord Stark for me…I need him to send this for me." She told the guard.

"Lord Stark is busy, I will deliver the letter for you later." He said reaching out.

She quickly snatched it away from his grasp with a stern look on her face. The guard eyed her curiously and continued to hold his hand out.

"I would prefer to give it to him myself." She said boldly.

An amused look could be seen under the guard's helm. He looked at the guard behind Dimeria who was also softly chuckling.

"What? You don't trust me with your letter, little lady?"

"Not one bit." Dimeria said without missing a beat. "Where is his tent, I can take the letter to him myself." She said starting forward.

The guard quickly shot his arm out and pushed her back.

"I am not permitted to let you leave this tent without someone watching you."

"Then come with me." She said impatiently.

The guard was beginning to get irritated, much to Dimeria's amusement. Not wanting to give in to the impudent girl, the guard looked for an out so she couldn't get what she wanted.

"Lord Stark told us there must be 2 guards present at this tent at all times."

"Then find one of the many amateur guards here and have him take your position." She said raising her voice.

"Amateur?" The guard said glowering at her.

He grabbed Dimeria's upper arm and raised his other hand, poised to strike her face. Dimeria did not back down, but stood straighter and looked him straight in the eyes; she refused to show fear to anyone. With a loud smack, the guard hit her across the cheek in the same spot where the White Walker struck her. The wound had finally begun to heal, but she now felt the familiar throbbing and the beginnings of a welt forming on her cheek again. She rubbed her hand across her cheek and felt moisture; apparently the guard had split her skin.

Still feeling defiant, she looked at the guard with a smirk on her face.

"Is that the best you can do?" She taunted him.

"Well why don't I just show you my best!" The guard yelled at her.

With his other hand clenched in a fist, he punched her other cheek, knocking her to the ground in a heap. He loomed over her and kicked her in the ribs. Dimeria curled up defensively and bit her lip trying to hold back the whimpers, which were desperately trying to escape her lips.

"Philip, she's had enough!"

Dimeria heard the other guard speak in her defense and felt alleviation as he moved to stop Philip from beating her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" A voice shouted at Philip and the other guard.

Dimeria looked up to see Theon Greyjoy rushing to her with an angry look upon his face. Theon stood in between her throbbing body and the 2 guards defensively.

"I believe Lord Stark made it very clear that no one was to lay a hand on her." Theon scolded them.

"The bitch was mouthing me, Ser." Philip said rather breathlessly.

Dimeria stood up painfully and glared at the guard. She stumbled from the pain and felt Theon's arm quickly go around her shoulders in order to steady her. She pushed away from Theon and stared at the guard dangerously.

"All I wanted was to see Lord Stark so he could send a letter for me." She displayed the letter she still clutched in her hands. "Your idiot guard wouldn't get him for me. I even told him to guide me to his tent since none of you trust me alone, but he still wouldn't budge!" She shouted defensively.

"I would watch your tongue if I were you!" Philip growled at her.

"Enough!" Theon yelled. "You are not to lay another hand on her or I will have your hand!" He then turned to Dimeria who had not released the scowl from her face.

Theon looked at her meaning to scold her, but he could not bring himself to do it. He surprisingly liked the blue-eyed warrior and the spirit she possessed. Theon knew the guard was mad only because it was a girl who had the nerve to make him look like a fool. Perhaps Dimeria had some fault in the matter, but he rather enjoyed the way she perturbed the other men, of course, only when it wasn't at his expense.

"Come with me." He told Dimeria, pulling her forward. She violently jerked out of his grasp, bringing an amused smirk to his face. She quickened her pace as she tried to take even strides with him. Dimeria struggled with this task, for she still felt shooting pains through her ribs and even worse throbs in her face. She wiped the blood from her cheek and winced quite noticeably.

Theon led her to Robb's tent and held open the flap for her. Just like the night before, other men surrounded him and they seemed to be in an intense conversation. They all glanced up at the sound of someone entering and Dimeria saw Robb's blue eyes widen in surprise. He strode over to her quickly and asked,

"What happened? Are you okay?" He brought his hand up to inspect her swollen cheek. Dimeria turned away from him, refusing to make eye contact. Robb lowered his hand and regarded Theon.

"Theon?" He asked.

"Do not station Philip to guard her tent anymore." Theon said as he shook his head.

Robb nodded beginning to understand what had happened. Still avoiding his gaze, Dimeria handed the letter to Robb.

"What is this?" He asked her.

"My letter to Jon. I was hoping you would send it to him." She mumbled.

"And this is why your guard beat you?" Robb asked.

"Partly."

Robb sighed greatly and felt anger tingle on the ends of his nerves. The swollen lumps were beginning to grow, tainting her beautiful features. Robb had never seen anyone so gorgeous before and it annoyed him to know someone had laid a hand on her. He cared for Dimeria even though he hardly knew her.

"I will have it sent immediately." He reassured her softly.

Finally looking up at him, she offered him a small smile. Robb felt his breath catch in his throat as he looked into her alluring blue orbs. Theon seemed to notice it too, for he raised his brows in amusement and smirked knowingly at Robb. Dimeria quickly turned on her heel. Theon gave one more look to Robb and followed closely behind her.

Robb ran a hand through his hair and rejoined the other Lords at the table. For the rest of the morning, Robb could not his mind off of what he would do to punish the guard who had struck Dimeria.

…

The next morning, Dimeria ached horribly from the beating she had taken. Audibly groaning, she rose from her bed and changed into one of the other pairs of clothes she had packed. The trousers she had been wearing were dirty and torn, her tunic in the same condition. The day passed by slowly for her. After changing, she managed to convince her guards that since she was not a real prisoner, she should be allowed more privileges, such as taking walks around the encampment. She walked to the edge of the woods, staying just outside. She stroked the bark, thinking how wonderful it would be to be riding her horse freely; with the wind hitting her face, her hair blowing back, and her heart pounding in her chest.

As she returned to the tents, she heard the harmonious ringing of clashing steel. Dimeria bid the guards to lead her to the sound where she found several of the guards training. She watched with growing interest, but mainly amusement as she watched the unseasoned fighters stumble about clumsily. A loud cackle escaped her lips as one man fell face first into the ground with his sword falling beside him.

"Do you think you could do better?" One of her escorting guards asked her.

"I know she could." Theon Greyjoy said, walking up beside her. Dimeria gazed longingly at the sword on the ground. She wanted to prove all of the men wrong.

"Do you think you could train them?" Theon asked her. After giving him a questioningly look, she bit through the pain in her ribs and grasped the fallen sword from the ground. She threateningly aimed the tip towards the man who had still been left standing in the training grounds. She seemed to channel the same attitude she used when training new recruits at Castle Black.

"Sword fighting is a work of art," She said circling around the man, "almost like painting a picture. Treat your sword like a paintbrush, each cut like a stroke of a brush."

She thrust forwards to the other man, who quickly blocked it away.

"Your sword is an extension of your arm, when you pierce another foe, you should be able to feel it run throughout your entire body." Dimeria spun to the right then and drew a thin line of blood from her opponent's left arm. He jerked away in pain and then quickly lunged at her in anger.

"No. First mistake. Your enemy is your canvas, as you make fine strokes with paint; you make fine cuts with your blade. Do not let anger distract you and wear your body out. Keep your core tight and your actions quick."

With movements so quick, she confronted the man head on, swinging, hacking, and twisting.

"It is not until you make your killing blow…" She struck the other man's sword so hard that it knocked him off balance. She kicked his weapon from his hand and spun so that her blade was aimed at his throat.

"…that you strike with all your might."

The familiar stabs of pain had returned to her ribs, but it rested at the back of her mind, for she was still energized from the thrill of the fight. Laughter and applause erupted around her, filling her heart with a sort of arrogant pride.

"Well done!" Theon shouted to her.

She smirked at him and said, "How about that rematch?" She asked him.

"Perhaps another time." He answered with a teasing grin.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and turned to help up the fallen guard, only to spin directly into Robb Stark. She gazed into his sky blue eyes and felt her heart skip a beat. Her breath caught in her throat, forming a small lump that she forced herself to swallow.

"That's impressive," Robb, said down to her, "you learned all that at The Wall?"

Dimeria nodded almost imperceptibly and blinked her eyes multiple times to clear her mind.

"What else have you learned?"

She bit her lip and twisted her white strand of hair around her finger. Why was she so nervous around him?

"My commander also trained me with a bow and arrow. I must say I devoted most of my time with a sword, but I am quite skilled with a bow and arrow." She said trying to regain her composure.

"Show me." He said.

She furrowed her eyebrows suspiciously, but followed him to a rack containing bows and quivers of arrows. Finding the shooting range, she notched an arrow in the bow and aimed down her sight.

_Thud!_

The arrow stuck to the right of the bull's eye…not a bad shot, but nothing to be impressed by. Robb paced around to her backside and stared at the target.

"Again." He ordered her.

Suppressing an annoyed sigh, she notched another arrow and drew the line back to her swollen cheek. Robb stayed behind her, inspecting her form. He stepped close to her and aimed down the sight along with her, causing Dimeria to bite her lip in anxiety.

"Relax your bow arm." He told her.

Dimeria did as she was told and released the arrow. With a loud thump, the arrow struck the target even closer to the center…a much better shot than her first. She widened her eyes in surprise at how much better it was. She sighed deeply, suddenly feeling inferior to Robb.

"One more time." He said behind her. Dimeria shuddered from his breath hitting the back of her neck and shakily drew back another arrow. She repeated the same form he had just instructed to use and she was just about to release the arrow when he said:

"Keep your core tight." He then placed his hands over her waist, slightly pushing against her stomach muscles and causing her to jerk suddenly. The arrow went flying beyond the target from her sudden movement and she quickly scrambled away from Robb.

Discomfort and embarrassment heated her cheeks. She desperately hoped the bruises she had acquired hid the redness she knew was filling her skin.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"It's nothing, it's just…my ribs are still tender from, uh…yesterday." She said hiding the real source of her discomfort. Dimeria bit her lip nervously, a habit she seemed to have acquired ever since she left Castle Black.

Robb suspected the reason why she had jumped so suddenly, but he said nothing of it, noticing the way she shied away from him.

"I think I should return to my tent." She mumbled and then quickly scurried away. She grasped her side in order to make her lie as to why she moved away from Robb more believable. She was in the heart of the encampment now, with plenty of the men running and milling about. Feeling more secure, she slowed her pace down and took a deep breath.

_Why does he affect me this way?_ She asked herself angrily.

Robb followed closely behind, only returning to her side when she had slowed down.

"Why did you do that?" He asked her.

"Do what?" She replied innocently.

"Don't play stupid. I know you're much smarter than that." He stepped in front of her forcing her to come to a stop.

She stared back at him, mentally shooting daggers with her eyes.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He muttered quietly.

_Oh, by the Gods he knows!_ Her mind screamed at herself.

"Uncomfortable? What do you mean?" She asked trying to hide her feelings.

Robb furrowed his brows at her disappointedly. "Don't try to spare my feelings…I thought you were a better person than to lie."

This seemed to rub Dimeria the wrong way.

"You don't know me, so don't try to pretend that you do." She said bitterly and trying to ignore the part he said about his 'feelings.'

He narrowed his eyes at her, ready to unleash the anger that had suddenly been boiling up within him.

"Lord Stark!" A soldier said running up to him. "Your mother has returned!"

Robb's eyes softened immediately. He looked back down at Dimeria, but she had already begun to make her way past him to her own tent. Coming up behind her, he grabbed her by the elbow and dragged her along with him.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me!" She said trying to wrench her arm from his grasp.

"You're coming with me. I think it would be good for you to meet my mother…maybe it'll douse the infuriating attitude you have."

Before she could argue with him, Robb pulled back the flap of his tent and gave her a little shove forwards. The same men that had always seemed to be in Robb's tent were there again, but were accompanied by charming woman with fiery red hair. The woman turned towards her and Dimeria could tell from her eyes that this was indeed Robb's mother. Barely giving Dimeria a second glance, Robb's mother looked behind her to see her son entering the tent.

"Robb." She said, emotion clear in her voice.

"Mother." He said with the same tone.

Dimeria moved to the back of the tent, feeling out of place with the loving embrace they shared.

_I wonder if my mother will hug me like that…_ She said to herself.

"What news do you have?" She heard Robb ask his mother urgently.

"As you know," she began, "I captured the imp as I was making my way back to Winterfell from King's Landing. I took him to The Vale for my sister to make judgment."

The mention of the imp caught Dimeria's attention. "The imp? You mean Tyrion Lannister?" She said craning her neck.

Before his mother could answer, Robb interrupted to make proper introductions.

"Mother, this is Dimeria. A few of the scouts found her in the forest."

"A spy for the Lannisters?"

"No, she uh…well,"

"I was headed south from The Wall." Dimeria interjected, finishing Robb's sentence.

"The Wall? What were you doing there?"

Dimeria sighed, beginning to get annoyed with having to explain her background.

"That is her home, Mother." Robb said picking up on Dimeria's negative vibes.

"Interesting…" His mother said, tilting her head to the side. "I am Lady Catelyn Stark, it is a pleasure to meet you Dimeria." She said holding out her hand.

"And you as well, Lady Stark." Dimeria said, barely remembering her manners. "Please, continue with your tale. I did not mean to interrupt." She muttered quietly.

Lady Stark smiled kindly at her before continuing. Dimeria listened intently as she listened to Lady Stark's retelling of her account with Tyrion. Apparently Tyrion had escaped punishment by demanding for a champion to fight in his defense. Dimeria silently cheered for the welfare of the imp; she had always like him and appreciated how honest he was with her.

"Then we no longer hold any leverage over them." Lord Umbler said morosely.

"And they hold all of it over us…we need to get my father and sisters back." Robb said more to himself than to anyone else in the room.

The rest of the men began throwing out ideas on how to gain an advantage over the Lannister armies; Dimeria sat in the back letting her mind wander.

"They outnumber us, we cannot hope to overcome them on the battlefield that easily." Robb said, countering Lord Umber's idea to strike hard and fast.

Dimeria rolled her eyes, growing tired of their arguing.

"Why don't you just take something of theirs?" She offered them nonchalantly. They all turned and regarded her curiously.

"What do you mean?" Robb asked her.

"Well, they have your family and you want them back. You have no hope of defeating their armies to get your family back, so why don't you take something that they would want back if it were gone?" She was greeted by blank stares and she groaned at how dense they all were.

"That way you could possibly arrange a deal with them!" She threw her hands up, astounded with how stupid these people were. Apparently people only got dumber the further south of The Wall you went.

"Yes, that's brilliant!" Robb said, "and when we have our leverage, we can threaten them with anything!"

"And we can fool them, we can threaten them and say we have large armies…they would never attack us then or harm your family." Another man said.

"And they'll never know our true numbers." Lord Umber said mischievously.

"Ah, no. They actually might know your numbers." Dimeria said sheepishly.

Again, they all turned to look at her, this time with more irritation in their faces.

"And how would they know that?" Catelyn Stark asked, speaking for the first time in a while.

"I saw a scout as I was walking around the encampment this morning." She said carelessly.

"And you never thought to tell us!?" Theon Greyjoy shouted at her.

"It never came up in a conversation!" She yelled back.

Robb gritted his teeth almost grinding them to sand. He clenched his hands tightly until they turned red from all the blood rushing to them. Dimeria and Theon continued to argue back and forth, but it all passed through his ears like a raging waterfall: senseless and mostly just a bunch of noise.

"Enough!" Robb cried out. He silenced the bickering, but did not diminish the rage everyone was currently feeling.

"My lords, we will continue speaking of this later." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before making direct eye contact with Dimeria.

"Dimeria…"

"What?" She snapped venomously at him. And that's when Robb's dam broke.

"You are the most infuriating woman I've ever met! If you keep up your attitude I will have no choice, but to treat you as a real prisoner!"

Dimeria opened her mouth, more than ready to bite Robb's head off with words, but Robb didn't stop.

"Go to your tent…I'll speak with you about this later!"

She stared at him incredulously as she made her to the front of the tent, she didn't want to spend another moment in Robb's presence.

"You cannot scold me as if you're my father!" She shouted.

"And how would know what a father's scolding sounds like? You are a bastard child."

The room fell silent and everyone's mouths dropped. Even Catelyn Stark raised her brows in surprise at her son's harsh words. A blade seemed to pierce through Dimeria's heart at the painful words, letting loose a river of emotions that she could no longer contain. She breathed heavily and stepped towards Robb, smacking him with such force that men in other tents could hear it. Her blue orbs glistened brightly with rage-filled tears and she turned on her heel, stomping out of the tent; not letting any tears fall until she was in the safety of her own tent.

No one made a move towards Robb as she slapped him, whether they wanted to say it or not, they believed Robb deserved it. The words were cruel and unexpected, even Theon Greyjoy thought Robb was completely out of line. Robb dismissed them quietly and they followed his orders, settling down in their own beds for the night. Robb felt the warm hand of his mother on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes, hoping to see comfort, but only saw disappointment. He was left alone in his tent, only hearing his bitter words towards Dimeria, and only feeling the numbing pain on his cheek down to his core from where she struck him.

_**So there you go! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter, I feel as if it could have been better. Let me know what you think, remember to review…it makes me write faster!**_

_**Until next time…**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: 50+ followers…thank you so much guys! I hope you like this next part. It's not necessarily going to be written from Robb's POV, but it will be following his actions for the most part, rather than Dimeria's. Hope you enjoy!**_

_**Thanks to **__**NamikazeMia, the-black-feathers, and ZabuzasGirl**__** for reviewing the last chapter!**_

Robb regretted the words the second they left his mouth. He was just so angry; he couldn't stop them from coming out! And when Dimeria slapped him, it felt more like she was stabbing him through the heart. Tension filled the atmosphere as she stalked out and he knew his men were less than thrilled at the way he behaved. As soon as he dismissed them, they left the tent resembling a herd of stampeding horses. Robb didn't blame them though; he would have done the same thing if he were in their position. His mother was the last to leave and the disappointment in here eyes stung him almost as much as Dimeria's slap…

Almost.

_How could I have been so stupid?_ He scolded himself. He ran his hand over his cheek, feeling the numbed nerves on his face. His skin was almost cold to touch, but he knew there was a flaming red mark from her palm. He heaved a great sigh, almost groaning as he exhaled. This wasn't how the Lord of Winterfell should have been acting. Running a hand through his curly locks, he thought over his options. He should apologize to her; it's the right thing to do, the honorable thing to do. He shook his head. No, Dimeria wasn't one to so easily forgive someone...especially for the words he had said.

He had to fix things though; he would never forgive himself if he didn't attempt to mend things with Dimeria. She made him feel things he had never felt before. Every time he laid eyes on her he felt his heart flutter. He knew it was foolish to feel that way for someone he hardly knew, but he couldn't help it. If only Dimeria were more reigned in, not quite as…feisty. She was so much to handle at times and he often wondered what it was like for her commanders at Castle Black. He shook away his wandering thoughts and settled on his decision: he was going to apologize to Dimeria.

He walked to her tent swiftly, ignoring those who tried to speak with him.

"Is Lady Dimeria in her tent?" Robb asked one of the guards stationed outside her tent.

"She is, though judging from the sobs I can hear, I'm not so sure she's wanting to speak with anyone."

"I suspected as much." Robb mumbled to himself. "Thank you." He said getting ready to enter.

"My Lord?" The guard asked.

Robb stopped, impatiently tapping his foot as he waited for him to speak.

"Not to be disrespectful, but she is no lady…I'm not even sure she knows what a highborn is."

Robb set his jaw firm, offended on Dimeria's behalf.

"It is not **Lady** Dimeria's fault that she is uneducated. You would do well to remember that you are also no highborn citizen."

The guard visibly gulped and nodded, signaling he had gotten Robb's message. Without another word, Robb opened the flap to Dimeria's tent; bracing himself as well as he could for the wrath he knew she would bestow upon him. He was quite surprised at what he saw, though. On the floor beside her bed, was Dimeria with her knees pulled up to her chest and her head bowed down. Her shoulders were shaking as her body trembled with violent sobs. The sight made Robb's heart ache. Guilt pressed down on his body heavier than any armor he would ever wear.

"Dimeria?" Robb said quietly.

Dimeria's head shot up and she stood up quickly, replacing her sadness with anger.

"Get out," She screamed, "Get out!"

"Dimeria, I just…"

"Who do you think you are!?" She said interrupting him. "You have no right to try to command me as you did…and then say those words to me. You don't know who I am, how **dare** you speak to me like that!"

Robb felt his anger sizzling within him once more, but he held it back; this was the Dimeria he had been expecting.

"You are no better than the dishonorable swine back at The Wall!" She screamed at him.

Robb's eyes widened at the bite in her words. Honor. It was how Robb's father, Ned, lived his life and Robb was determined he would live his life the same way. But according to Dimeria, he wasn't doing so well. Trying to find a defense against the wound she had caused, he allowed himself to get angry once more.

"You are just so maddening, Dimeria!" He yelled at her. "Why couldn't you have just told someone…anyone about the scout you saw?"

"It is not my responsibility, I owe you no loyalty! It was one mistake, you act as if I've ruined your life!"

"That mistake could endanger everyone here! And it's not just the scout that bothers me, it's everything you've done since you've gotten here."

Dimeria scoffed at his words having no clue what it was he was getting at.

"You antagonize my men, you constantly distract them. I can't run an army that's too busy trying to deal with your antics!" He yelled.

"Then why don't you just let me go!?" She screamed.

Robb's shoulders slumped and he covered his face with his hands.

"Because…you've done just as much good as you have bad." He said finally getting control over his voice.

"What do you mean?" Dimeria asked, also calming down.

"I saw you training my men, you helped them greatly today. And, you're suggestion for a trade with the Lannisters…it was a great idea." He looked into Dimeria's eyes and immediately felt his anger dissipate. "You have a great mind for battle strategy."

Robb sighed in relief as he saw that Dimeria was managing to control her labored breathing. He looked concernedly at her ribs as she painfully ran a hand over them.

"Why do you want to leave so badly?" He asked her.

"You don't understand." She said quietly. She ran a hand through her hair and grabbed the white strand that always stuck out. He risked taking a step forward and spoke softly to her.

"Why don't you trust me, Dimeria?"

She didn't answer him, but continued to twist her hair and bite her lip.

_She's so guarded._ He thought to himself. Robb wanted to be the one she trusted, the one she could be honest with. He then realized that there was only one other person she hinted at being comfortable with…Jon Snow. He tried to put a smile on his face in order to ease the mood.

"You trust Jon…what did he do to earn your trust? Maybe I can do the same."

Dimeria laughed pitifully then. "Are you going to try to tell me that you're also a bastard child?"

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "If that's what it takes…" He walked closer to her and grabbed her hands. He was surprised that she actually didn't pull away from him.

"Dimeria," He said looking into her sapphire eyes, "I am a bastard child."

She laughed and finally pulled away, luckily not in anger. Robb felt his heart skip a beat as he looked at her joyful face. She smiled a smile that encompassed her entire face; reaching her eyes and making them sparkle more than they did before. He smiled along as he listened to her harmonious laugh. All too soon, it ended and she had a depressed look on her face again.

"You have a beautiful smile…you should do it more often." He said kindly.

He was afraid he had pushed the boundaries too far from the perplexed look on her face.

"No one's ever told me that." She muttered.

"Everyone thinks it. Before you started annoying my men, they couldn't stop saying how gorgeous they thought you were."

He smirked when she rolled her eyes at him. Robb inhaled deeply while he marveled at her gorgeous curves as she turned and walked over to her bed.

"And what do you think?" Dimeria asked him as she sat down.

Robb looked down and turned away, mirroring the same action Dimeria always did. Of course he thought she was beautiful, he'd be crazy if he didn't. But should he tell her that? He knew Dimeria was cunning; she could be luring him into a trap, but was she honestly that kind of person?

He didn't think so. She was spirited and sarcastic, not evil and conniving. Robb continued to nervously pace about her tent, still feeling the cold gaze she was giving him on his back.

"Well I—Are those dragon eggs?" He asked when his eyes regarded her desk.

He looked back to Dimeria and thought he saw a flicker of disappointment cross her eyes, but he couldn't tell for she quickly recovered her senses. Robb leaned over the small desk that held the 2 eggs and dared to pick one up. He never saw her coming, for before he knew it; Dimeria was at his side snatching the egg from his grasp. He eyed her quizzically as she held it tightly against her stomach.

"Yes, they're dragon eggs. They're uh…they're special to me." She muttered quietly.

Robb looked at the other dragon egg still sitting on the desk and took in every detail. It had a brighter hue of blue, while the one Dimeria still held had a silver tint. He found it hard to believe that he and his family had stumbled upon dire wolves several months ago, but that experience was nothing compared to 2 dragon eggs.

"You actually planned on taking these to the south?" He asked Dimeria with a disbelieving laugh.

He tried not to laugh out loud at the confused look on Dimeria's features, but he could not hold it back. In doing so, it only heightened her annoyance causing him to tightly purse his lips to reign in his entertainment.

"Why would that be a problem?" She asked defensively.

Robb's amusement quickly turned into incredulity at Dimeria's naïve nature.

"In the south, people would either raid your bags for a chance to have possession, or they would kill you."

"Why would they kill me?!" She blurted out.

Robb continued to stare skeptically at Dimeria's lack of knowledge.

"You really don't know anything of this world, do you?" He asked her.

He didn't mean the words rudely, but he felt badly when he saw Dimeria's face droop in sadness.

"It is not my fault." She said trying to keep her face passive.

"I never said it was."

"Could you…teach me?"

Robb smiled kindly and dared to grab her hand to lead her over to a chair. He sat her down and she looked up at him expectantly.

"There's quite a bit to tell."

…

Robb still felt as if he was flying in the clouds when he left Dimeria's tent. It was silly, really; all they did was talk. He told her everything ranging from Aegon the Conquerer to the demise of the Targaryen claim to the Iron Throne. Dimeria looked at him with awe as he gave her the large history lesson. He laughed when she seemed to take particular interest in the dragons that the Targaryens had, he had expected that though, what with her having her own dragon eggs.

"It's a shame they're all dead." Dimeria said solemnly.

"They were magnificent creatures, or so I've heard." Robb said, following her gaze as she looked to her dragon eggs.

Robb smiled to himself as he recalled the breathtaking features on Dimeria's face as she listened to him. He walked around the encampment not particularly caring where he was going…he was just walking.

"Lord Stark." A voice drew Robb away from his thoughts and he brought himself back to reality.

A guard quickly ran towards him, a frantic look upon his face.

"We have a situation." He said breathlessly.

"What is it?" Robb said turning fully towards him.

"Some of the men found the scout in the woods. We've brought him back to your tent for questioning."

Robb nodded and with a swish of his cloak, he began walking to his tent. He passed by Dimeria's tent and silently cheered when he saw her poke her head out at the sudden commotion that had risen outside. She spotted Robb and quickly asked him what was going on.

"It seems they've found the scout you earlier spoke of." He said as he passed by. He chuckled to himself as she glared slightly, but followed him with no hesitation. They entered his tent abruptly, instantly looking for the Lannister scout.

Lord Umber was the first to speak to Robb after he entered.

"My Lord." He said bowing slightly. "Guards found him in the forest, they say they saw him counting our men."

"How high did he get?" Dimeria interjected quickly. The men glared at her dangerously, still fuming at the fact she hadn't spoken of the scout earlier. Robb suppressed a sigh when he saw her roll her eyes and turned back to Lord Umber who was roughly holding the Lannister scout by the hair.

"How high?" Robb asked him.

"20,000." The scout managed to squeak.

Robb turned to regard Dimeria who had a mischievous glint in her eyes; he could tell they were thinking the same thing. Robb made the decision he knew his men would think him crazy for, but it had to be done.

"Release him." Robb said to Lord Umber and the other man who was holding the scout. "Tell Lord Tywin, winter is coming for him. Twenty thousand northerners marching south to find out if he really does shit gold."

The scout nodded frightfully and quickly scampered off into the night. Lord Umber made a move to follow him, but only got so far as the entrance of the tent. The towering man stomped back over to Robb, glaring down with hatred filled eyes.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing, boy?" He spat down at him.

"Well apparently you don't." Dimeria answered for Robb.

The dangerous gaze then turned onto her, but Robb did not fear for her; he knew she could take care of herself.

"You really should be thanking him right now. I believe he just gave this army the perfect opportunity to gain the leverage you've been needing." Dimeria said condescendingly. Lord Umber looked confusedly over to Robb, causing to Dimeria to roll her eyes once more.

"Listen here, boy…" Lord Umber said, but Robb quickly stopped him.

"Call me boy one more time." He said meeting the dangerous stare. A change occurred in Robb's voice, it was more menacing and commanding…the voice of a leader. Everyone in the room seemed to notice the shift including Lord Umber, for he slowly backed away from Robb, but then quickly stomped out of the tent.

"My Lords," Robb said turning back to the other men in the tent, "there's much to be done. Rest well tonight, we have an early start in the morning."

The men nodded and began leaving the tent, sharing confident claps on the back with Robb.

"After that, I feel as if you should be thanking me for not informing you of the scout." Dimeria said to Robb with a sly smirk on her face.

Robb couldn't help but laugh as he shook his head. "Good luck getting that to happen." He said to her. Robb watched her leave his tent and fought with the voice in his head telling him to not let her leave. He shook the notion away though, it would only cause rumors to circle about the encampment. Robb began relieving himself of his armor, as he got ready to settle down for the night. Things had started to look slightly up for him that evening, but he knew he still had a very long road ahead of him.

He lay down on his bed, resting his hands behind his head while he stared up above him. Over and over, he replayed the conversation he had with Dimeria after he began telling her the history of Westeros. The memory gave him goosebumps and made his stomach feel as if it were being tied in knots.

"_The Kingslayer murdered The Mad King, even though he had sworn to protect him?" Dimeria had asked him with wide eyes._

"_That __**is**__ why they named him Kingslayer." Robb said with a laugh._

_Dimeria frowned at him before she asked another question, "What was his name, the Kingslayer?"_

"_Jaime Lannister."_

"_And that's who you're fighting against?"_

"_Yes, him and his father." Robb said bitterly. He looked to Dimeria as she bit her lip in contemplation. _

"_I wonder what he's like…" She said more to herself than to Robb._

"_It's said that he is the most handsome man in all of Westeros." Robb said._

_Dimeria laughed slightly and said, "I doubt that."_

"_Why's that?" _

"_Because I'm looking at the most handsome man in Westeros right now." She said with a grin._

_Robb raised his brows in surprise, taken aback by the honest comment. It seemed as though Dimeria surprised herself, for she was gnawing at her lip even harder and she quickly got up and walked back to the table with her dragon eggs. Robb got up and followed her asking,_

"_You think so?"_

"_Well, I mean, I haven't exactly seen that many men from Westeros, but I mean…from those I have seen…"_

_Robb quickly shut her up by gently placing a kiss upon her lips. _

…

"Is that from Dimeria?"

Jon looked up from the letter to Samwell's curious round face.

"It is." He answered.

"Is she already at King's Landing? That was quick!"

"No, she um, she's been captured by my brother." Jon said with a half-hearted laugh. Jon saw the panicked look on Sam's face and quickly reassured him,

"She is fine, technically she is not really a prisoner. It sounds more like Robb is keeping her there for safety reasons."

Sam's face immediately flooded with relief at the news. He missed Dimeria, he was one of the only one's that had ever been kind to him at Castle Black and it made him feel a little better that she was a girl, they never really spoke to him before. He was happy that she had finally gotten the opportunity to find her parents, but he could not deny how much her absence had changed things.

"Well that's good news." Sam said with a smile. "I hope she's staying safe."

"Me too." Jon said quietly. Jon couldn't quite determine how he felt after reading Dimeria's letter. At first it was fear, he knew something was wrong when he had received a letter so soon after she had left. But when he found out she had met his half-brother…what was it he felt? He knew Robb would never lay a hand to harm Dimeria, he was much too noble for that. So why was it he wasn't exactly thrilled that Dimeria was in his company?

Was he jealous?

He closed his eyes and sighed. No. He and Dimeria never had that relationship…but did he want to? Whether he did or not, he knew it wouldn't happen; Dimeria was gone now.

With Robb.

Robb had a chance, he realized. Jon quickly scolded himself for the thought. It was selfish for him to think that way, he should be happy for Dimeria, not jealous. He folded the letter back up and stood.

"I'm going to write back to her." He told Sam before he started making his way towards his chambers.

"Tell her I say 'hello!'" Sam called after him.

Robb settled at the small desk in his room and lit a candle. He stared down at a piece of parchment, wondering what he should write. Dimeria wasn't exactly sentimental, so he knew not to make the letter too sweet. He settled with just writing down what he would normally say to her in person; they had an honest relationship and he didn't plan on changing that.

_**Dear Dimeria,**_

_**I must say I knew something was wrong when I received a letter from you so soon, but I'm relieved to know you're in good hands. Robb will treat you well, I'm sure of it. **_

_**Try not to give him too much trouble, I'm sure he has quite a bit to be dealing with right now and your smart mouth tends to anger people…I'm just warning you. **_

_**Castle Black is not the same without you; Alliser Thorne seems to be enjoying having more control over the new recruits. My Uncle Benjen has still not returned, I can tell Commander Jeor is worried, especially because of the White Walkers. Not that you particularly care, but he misses you too…along with Maester Aemon. I think they wish they had ended things better with you, they truly believe that what they hid from you was for the best. **_

_**Write to me as soon as you make your way closer to King's Landing, or whenever you get the chance. As always, I am praying for you.**_

_**Yours truly,**_

_**Jon Snow**_

_**P.S. Samwell would like me to send you his greetings. **_

**A/N: So there's the next part. Just a little heads up, I've been thinking a little farther into the storyline and I think I'm really going to end up changing a lot of things. I hope that doesn't bother too many people, but oh well…this is a FanFic after all.**

**Remember to leave reviews, I love reading them!**

**Until next time…**


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N: So here's the next chapter! It's mostly filler, but it's leading up to some big things. I put in a little Lannister action…we've got both brothers in this part Hope you enjoy!**_

It was odd. She had never felt anything like it before.

A kiss.

She really wasn't entirely sure what to even do. Robb's lips were warm and soft, while hers she imagined, were dull and lifeless. She simply stood there for a moment, the shock she originally felt at the compliment she had given Robb intensified when she felt his lips on hers. A sudden fire ignited within her stomach, melting the cold that usually embodied her limbs. Desire engulfed her, wiping her thoughts clean of anything else and repealing any control Dimeria originally had over her body.

Robb's hand moved to the side of her face; tucking her white strand of hair behind her ear, as Dimeria finally felt herself come to life. She tilted her head up and fully joined in with the kiss, feeling it become deeper and more passionate. She allowed her hand to trail up his muscular chest and over his shoulder, pulling him closer to her and he immediately obliged. Their lips moved over each other in a harmonious rhythm, more graceful than any dance. Robb held her close to him, one hand on the small of her back and the other on her shoulder.

They broke the kiss then, but still held each other close. Dimeria was slightly breathless and closed her eyes and she leaned against Robb's shoulder. His hand was still on her back, his cheek resting on the top of her head.

Dimeria couldn't bring herself to look at him; she had never felt anything like that before. Did she enjoy it? She would be lying to herself if she said she didn't, but she wasn't sure what to do about it.

Robb pulled back from her so he could look her in the eye, but still held her by the shoulders.

"You're the most beautiful woman in all of Westeros, in my opinion." He told her sweetly.

A warm blush rose to her cheeks as she offered him a small smile. He caressed her cheek softly and she closed her eyes, indulging in the contact and reveling in his soft touch. He placed a kiss on her forehead and then told her that he should go. As he left, Dimeria felt a slight emptiness in her chest, but it wasn't long after that she saw him again as he walked to go confront the scout they had captured.

Dimeria was impressed with how Robb immediately seemed to pick up on the plan she had also formed in her mind and even more so with how he dealt with Lord Umber. She walked back to her tent with only Robb consuming her thoughts. As she lay on her bed, she held a mental debate with herself; wondering why she allowed herself to open up as she did. Indecision and confusion still weighed heavy on her mind as sleep finally claimed her for the night.

The clanking of metal armor and stomping feet woke Dimeria early the next morning. She dressed and braided her hair quickly, for this was the routine she usually followed at Castle Black. She stopped, not realizing what it was she wanted to do.

_You want to see Robb…_ A voice in her head told her.

Dimeria shut her eyes tightly, willing the voice to shut up. Whether it was possible or not, Dimeria still thought she felt the lingering warmth of Robb's lips on hers. Her feelings for Robb were as unsettling as a stormy sea, but she liked it…the problem was getting her to admit it.

"Lady Dimeria?" The voice of one of her guards interrupted her inner turmoil.

"Drop the 'lady.' You and I both know it doesn't fit me." Dimeria said bluntly.

More than happy to oblige with her request, the guard continued on,

"Lord Stark would like you to join him in breaking fast." The guard said with obvious boredom.

Dimeria felt her breath catch in her throat at the sudden request. She nodded her confirmation and followed the guard out of her tent. He escorted her to Robb's tent, though he didn't seem too thrilled about it.

"If you don't want to escort me, don't bother." Dimeria said without even glancing at him.

"It's my job. If I don't do what I'm told, I get in trouble." The guard looked down at her then. "You would take care to remember that."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Dimeria snapped at him, but he gave no response, for they were already at Robb's tent. She pushed her way in, not waiting for the guard to hold open the flap for her.

Robb was at the back of the tent throwing on a simple tan shirt over his muscled body. Dimeria bit her lip nervously as she turned to gaze around the space. It wasn't the fact that he was shirtless; she had seen multiple men at Castle Black without clothing, but it was the fact that is was Robb that made her uncomfortable. She felt as if she was invading his privacy.

"Dimeria, good morning." Robb said with a wide smile. She couldn't help the smile that splayed across her face.

"Good morning to you, too." She told him.

"Would you care to join me?" He said gesturing at the table laden with food.

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." She said honestly. Robb grinned at her comment and pulled out a chair for her.

"Your men are getting ready fairly early this morning. I assume we'll be moving the encampment?" She asked him.

"I only ride to Riverrun to discuss negotiations with Lord Frey."

Dimeria cocked an eyebrow, not aware of whom Lord Frey was or why they needed to negotiate. Robb chuckled slightly and explained:

"Walder Frey is the Lord of Riverrun. Not the most pleasant man, but we need his favor in order to cross The Trident River to meet the Lannisters."

"I see. So we're not going anywhere?"

"Not yet." He said with smile, realizing how restless she was.

Silence fell over them. Robb was content with it; he enjoyed being in Dimeria's company, but she began anxiously shaking her leg. She gnawed at her lip and scratched at the wooden table slightly. Robb raised his eyes to her, questioning her discomfort.

"Robb, when will I be able to move forward?" She finally asked. Robb furrowed his brow at her question. He moved from across the table and took the seat directly to her right. He looked into her wide eyes, trying to decipher what it was she was feeling.

"You wish to leave so soon?" He asked her. She dropped her gaze from his, not able to answer his question. She knew her presence meant more to him than it originally had and it meant more to her now, but finding her parents was much more important to her.

"Dimeria, last night I—I thought that…" He stopped not capable of finding the words he wanted. He took a deep breath to settle himself and tried again.

"Did last night mean nothing to you?" He knew it was just a kiss, but he knew Dimeria had never been with a man in that way, he hoped it meant something to her.

"Of course it meant something to me, I've never…kissed someone before in my entire life." She said wearily. "It's just—finding out who my parents are means a lot to me too."

Robb bowed his head slightly, disappointment in his eyes. He understood completely, Jon Snow had often spoken with him about how he wanted to find out who his mother was; Robb just never thought that that understanding would affect him so much.

"I understand." He told Dimeria. "But I care about you much more than I ever thought was possible…I would hate to see you leave."

Dimeria wished she could relay the same feelings back to Robb, but she couldn't bring herself to say the words…she didn't want to become vulnerable to someone like that. But Robb forced her to confront her feelings.

"Do you not care for me also?" He asked her. She closed her eyes.

"I do care for you…" She muttered quietly.

Robb reached over and grabbed her hand, knowing how difficult it was for Dimeria to admit that. She looked up to him with her bright blue eyes and saw all of Robb's feelings in his face. It pained her to know someone cared for her so much even though she was unable to express her feelings in the same way; that's why she didn't want to care for people, it made things easier.

"Dimeria, with everything going on…the war and whatnot, it's too dangerous to be travelling on your own to King's Landing, or anywhere else for that matter. I promise that if I get out of this war alive, I will help you south to find your parents."

The emotion in Robb's voice was enough to make Dimeria's heart swell. She knew Robb would keep that promise, but she didn't know if she could wait that long. Wars could last months, even years, she had waited her entire life and she didn't want to wait any longer to find her parents. But she couldn't tell Robb that.

"Okay." She agreed with him.

He leaned over and kissed her, awakening the same desire Dimeria had felt last night. She reached across to him and placed her hand on the back of his neck, pulling him closer. Reluctantly, he pulled away from her.

"I should get ready to leave, my men will be getting restless." He said.

"I'm the one you need worry about getting restless." She said with irritation clear in her voice. Robb laughed at her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips again.

"I should be back no later than nightfall. Try not to cause too much trouble." He said with a smirk. She scoffed at his remark, but knew he was right. She did have a habit of stirring things up. Dimeria walked him to his horse, more than aware of the stares they were receiving from the men. She tried to ignore them like usual, but the intense gazes drilled into her back like daggers. Her nose wrinkled as she mentally scolded herself for allowing the men to get under her skin; no such thing would have ever happened back at The Wall.

"Don't your men know it's rude to stare?" She muttered angrily to Robb.

Robb glanced around at his men as if he had only noticed the curious stares after Dimeria mentioned it.

"I'm sure they're just jealous that you're not seeing them off as you are with me." He said in attempt to lighten her mood. The only response he got was an eye roll, so he gently nudged her in the ribs with his elbow. She huffed as she looked up at him with distaste. Seeing the smirk on his face, she shoved him to the side and walked faster in order to leave him behind.

"Keep that attitude up and I'll never allow you to travel south." Robb said after he caught up with her. Dimeria seethed in anger and turned with wide eyes.

"I'm only joking, calm down!"

Glaring at him the entire time, she watched as Robb mounted his horse.

"And you say **I'm** infuriating." She told him when he was settled.

"You are, I'm just returning the favor." He looked down at her and laughed at the scowl on her face.

"You need to lighten up, Dimeria."

"Good luck getting that to happen." She said.

"Oh, I'm sure I can do something to help. You weren't so tense when I was kissing you."

As soon as he saw the blush on her cheeks, her urged his horse forward and left her in the swirling dust.

…

"Ah, little brother…good to see you're safe."

"Yes, no thanks to you or father." Tyrion Lannister replied to his brother, Jaime.

"Well maybe if you hadn't left us to go to The Wall, you wouldn't have ended up in such an unfavorable position." Jaime said with a smirk. "How was that icy shithole, anyway?"

"Not too bad, really. Honestly Jaime, you need to learn to appreciate art when it's there. The Wall is an amazing piece of work."

"The only art I appreciate is the art of swordplay."

"Yes I know, which makes me realize that you may have actually liked the girl I met at Castle Black. Magnificent swordsman." Tyrion said in remembrance of Dimeria.

"A woman at The Wall? What the hell is that about?"

"I believe she's being hidden actually."

Jaime cocked a brow at his brother as he adjusted his armor on his shoulders.

"She's a bastard child, you see. The Lord Commander brought her there as a child to keep her safe, I assume. If my suspicions are correct, he made the right choice in keeping her hidden."

"And what exactly are your suspicions, Tyrion?" Jaime asked with a hand on his hip.

"It may only be half since she's a bastard, but I believe she's a bastard Targaryen."

Jaime scoffed at his brother's thoughts, his customary smirk clear on his face.

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one in this family, Tyrion." Jaime said.

"What? Was the Mad King not allowed to fuck other women? Our current king does it." Tyrion said as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"All the Targaryens are either dead or exiled. None of them are in Westeros…not even at The Wall."

"Yes, you made sure that was their fate…didn't you, Jaime?" Tyrion said drawing a dangerous glare from Jaime. "I see you're all dressed up in your armor, where are you off to?" Tyrion asked, directing the conversation in a different direction to avoid Jaime's wrath.

Stifling the anger that Tyrion's comment had ignited, he continued on with the conversation:

"Father has given me half of our army to besiege Riverrun. I'm getting ready to go this very minute."

"Our dear father always was very generous when it came to you." Tyrion said sarcastically. "I would wish you good luck, but you usually don't seem to need it."

"Well, it's the thought that counts…or so I've heard." Jaime said turning his back. "Good-bye, little brother!"

Lord Tyrion walked off in the other direction, his thoughts still dancing around Dimeria. He wondered how she was fairing, if she and the other bastard, Jon Snow were getting on well. He hoped that Dimeria stayed at Castle Black, unless he was wrong…which was a rare occasion, she truly was a Targaryen and in that case, anywhere would be dangerous if people found out about her origins. Oddly enough, Tyrion decided that he wasn't going to share this piece of information with anyone. He liked Dimeria and didn't see any reason to put her to death when she had done nothing wrong, she didn't even know why her identity put her in danger! He thought back to when he had told her she was always welcome at King's Landing. He hadn't been lying to her, but he had said it with the belief that Dimeria would never make her way south. Tyrion still hoped that she wouldn't make the journey, but Dimeria was fierce; she could do anything if she set her mind to it.

Tyrion shook his head at the thought of all the dangers she could possibly walk into if she left the safety of Castle Black. He was confident she wouldn't leave though, there was no way he would have cross paths with Dimeria again.

…

The day passed by slowly for Dimeria who had actually managed to follow Robb's orders and stay out of trouble. She stayed in her own tent until sundown came and she went to watch the setting of the sun. Dimeria missed Robb, she hated to admit it, but she did. She balled her fists at her sides as she scolded herself for feeling that way.

_You need to leave_… A voice told her._ If you become too attached, you'll never find out who you are…_

She sighed deeply and kicked the ground in frustration. Life had only become more complicated ever since she left Castle Black, hadn't she expected it to be easier? For everything to just fall into place? The only thing that had been falling was her defenses, her protection. She set them up around her heart, higher and stronger than the great Wall itself, yet Robb was determined to climb over it. He didn't even know why she was so guarded. Now that she thought about, Dimeria realized that Robb didn't know that much about her life; not that there was much to it, she was just a ranger at Castle Black. Only one person knew everything about her, only one person had made it over her walls and he wasn't anywhere near Dimeria. Dimeria felt tears pool in her eyes as she thought of Jon; she missed his company and the comfort he brought to her life.

The sun had reached the end of its descent and moon was quickly making its luminous trek up into the sky. She began walking back to her tent and she saw that Robb's men were making their return. She eyed the galloping horses for Robb's curly auburn hair, but she could not find him. The longing to just run to his tent and wait for him pushed her onwards, but she decided against it; it would only draw more curious gazes from the already suspicious men.

She went to her tent to wait for him and was happy when she realized she didn't have to wait long. As he walked into her tent, Dimeria surprised Robb as well as herself as she ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, placing a passionate kiss on his lips. She pulled back and he raised his brows in question as she blinked confusedly at what she had just done.

"It's good to see you too, Dimeria." Robb said with a smile as he placed his hands over her hips.

"I-I'm not sure why I did that…" Dimeria stuttered, moving her hands to his shoulders.

"Obviously because you missed me." He said with a smirk.

"Did not!" She said pulling away from him. He pulled her back by the hips quickly and held her close to him, their faces barely inches apart.

"You don't have to deny it." He whispered with his warm breath brushing against her lips. He kissed her gently then, but still managed to pour all of his feelings into that single kiss, leaving Dimeria breathless when they parted. He walked past her then, finding a small chair to sit on.

"So? How did it go? Do you have permission to cross?" Dimeria asked him as she followed him.

Robb's face instantly darkened at the mention of the negotiations. He had gotten the approval from Lord Frey to cross and he was even gifted with some of his men to fight, but Robb was less than thrilled at what he had to do in return.

"Robb?" Dimeria pressed on.

"Negotiations rarely happen without a price." Robb sighed.

"Yes, that is why they're called 'negotiations'."

Robb frowned at her sarcasm letting her know that it was not helping. She rolled her eyes and smirked slightly. Again, Robb sighed greatly before further explanation:

"Lord Frey has granted me access to cross the river, but he has requested that Arya marry one his sons when they are of age and…" Robb paused, finding it difficult to speak of his predicament.

"And he wants me to marry one his daughters when this is all over."

Dimeria widened her eyes a touch and forced herself the swallow the burning lump in her throat so she could continue speaking.

"And you agreed to these terms?" She asked quietly.

"I had to. If there is no peace between my house and House Frey then we can make no advancements." Robb said matter-of-factly.

"Well then I suppose I can leave then." She said breaking eye contact.

"What?"

"I assume I was just a distraction for you before you found a real woman to be with."

"What are you talking about, I would never do that!" He said standing up.

Dimeria could make no response as she tried to decipher her feelings. She was angry, of course, but what she mainly felt was heartache. The same heartache she felt that day when she overheard Jeor and Aemon keeping secrets from her.

**That** was the reason she protected herself.

She hated feeling that pain…the pain of betrayal, loss, and hopelessness. She turned away from Robb and faced her desk, getting distracted by her dragon eggs.

"I have made it very clear to you about I feel." Robb said to her back. "You are the one who cannot express your feelings."

Tears formed in her eyes as she bowed her head down. Robb walked up behind her then and placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. She tried to jerk away, but he held on tightly, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"How much do you care for me, Robb?" She asked him quietly.

He took a deep breath and gently pushed up her chin to look her in the eyes.

"Words cannot describe my feelings for you, Dimeria. I know that I haven't known you for very long, but I can't help how I feel. You make my heart race and you make my stomach twist up in knots."

He gently wiped away a tear that had escaped from Dimeria's eyes. He kept his hand on her cheek, gently caressing it.

"But you make it so difficult to care about you, Dimeria. You are so guarded and won't let anyone close to you. I would never do anything to hurt you, but sometimes I fear you wouldn't return that favor."

Dimeria held her hand over her mouth as she took a sharp breath at his words. She knew he was right, she would most likely never feel the same way Robb felt.

"I'm so sorry, Robb."

He leaned his forehead against hers, holding her tightly against his body. He knew Dimeria couldn't change who she was, at least not right away. She had never known any differently, but that didn't stop the pain he felt when she didn't even make an attempt at disputing his words. Robb wouldn't stop though, he would use every last ounce of strength, every last breath in his body to gain Dimeria's trust. He didn't care if it took years, he didn't want Dimeria to be a cold, lifeless person when he knew the potential she had to be amazing.

"Please understand, Dimeria. I had to agree to his requests."

Dimeria nodded against his head, feeling his warm breath on her face.

"I understand."

"I swear I will look for any possible way to get out of the betrothal. I am not going to just abandon you."

She nodded again and breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down. She allowed herself to relax in Robb's arms, taking in his scent and the feel of his arms around her back. It was a rare feeling for her; she knew she shouldn't let have been letting her guard down like she was, but she didn't care at the time. Dimeria also didn't care when Robb kissed her again, no, she didn't mind at all. She returned the kiss just as passionately as he did, her hands running through his hair. The familiar blaze of desire erupted again as he pressed his hand into the small of her back, pushing her as close to him as possible. Robb carefully bit down on her bottom lip and a moan involuntarily escaped her mouth.

Their breathing came harder as they allowed each other access into each other's mouths; their tongues dancing around each other eagerly. His hands roamed down to her backside hungrily as he pushed her up against the small desk in her tent, drawing another moan from Dimeria, which he joined in with. They couldn't seem to get enough of each other as they closed what little space was between them. Robb eventually lifted Dimeria on top of the desk and in the little time their lips parted, he moved his mouth down onto her neck, gently nipping and sucking her skin. Dimeria bit her lip in ecstasy as she tilted her head back. She didn't know if she could contain everything she was feeling; it was almost as if she would burst from the pleasure.

The strength of their passion seemed to be a force field, pushing everything outwards. As a result, Dimeria's dragon eggs rolled off the desk, drawing all of her attention away. Robb's lips separated from her skin whilst he looked to what had distracted Dimeria. He chuckled breathlessly when he saw the disturbance and disappointedly rested his head on Dimeria's shoulder.

"I suppose now really isn't the best time, anyway." Robb said.

"Probably not." Dimeria agreed mindlessly; she couldn't really comprehend what had just happened. It was as if she wasn't even in her own body when it happened, she had no control over what was happening.

They collected their senses and Robb guided her down from the desk.

"I'm going to be meeting with the lords and bannermen to discuss the upcoming attack. I just wanted to tell you what happened." Robb told her.

"You did a lot more than that!" Dimeria said with a laugh. Robb laughed along with her and stroked back her loose hairs.

"I know you're going to fight with me the entire time, but I swear I will climb over your walls. I'm going to heal every wound everyone has ever caused you."

Dimeria bit her lip nervously, no words coming to mind. Robb seemed to be the only man she had ever met to leave her speechless, she wasn't entirely sure she liked it, but she would get used to it. Robb left her alone in the tent to discuss battle plans for the upcoming days. They planned to separate their ranks; most of their men were set to attack Jaime Lannister's army to hopefully overpower his men. Dimeria would find that the day of the attack was more nerve wracking than any other day she had ever experienced in her life. She wasn't focused on that for the night though, she was still focused on everything Robb had confessed to her. She laughed a slightly humorless laugh when she realized that he truly wouldn't give up, he would do everything possible to climb her walls to win her heart.

And the thing was…she was finally beginning to feel those walls slowly crumble.

_**Aaaw, so much Robb and Dimeria cuteness, I hope you liked this chapter. There will be much more Jaime Lannister in upcoming parts, so hopefully I wrote him well. **_

_**Remember to leave reviews, I didn't get too many last time so hopefully I get a little more this time!**_

_**Until next time…**_


	13. Chapter 13

_**Here's part 13! **_

_**Special thanks to **__**ZabuzasGirl, sassygirl9811, and GUEST**__** for reviewing, it means a lot! Hope you enjoy!**_

"So how do you plan on getting out of this one?"

Robb regarded Theon curiously.

"What do you mean?" He asked him.

"I mean you and Dimeria." Theon said with a smirk. "Don't try to act like there isn't anything going on, I've seen you two together."

Robb shook his head. There wasn't any point in denying it; he didn't want to deny it, but with his betrothal to the Frey girl, it made things more difficult. Theon was in Robb's tent helping him get ready for the battle that loomed before them like a dangerous storm. Robb looked up from his attentive studying over his map and rubbed a hand down his face.

"I don't know, really." Robb admitted.

"Does she know about the Freys?"

"Yes."

"Oh, so you're just fu-"

"Theon." Robb cut him off short, knowing where he was going with the conversation. He sent a harsh glare his way, but it did nothing to dispel the smirk that resided on his face. Theon chuckled for a moment longer, but then got serious, which was a rare occasion for him.

"How well do you really know her, Robb? I mean, she's only been here for-what, 2 weeks?" Theon said skeptically.

"I know I haven't known her that long, but...I can't explain it, Theon." He sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "I want to get to know her, she's just so guarded and...She doesn't trust anyone and I don't know why!" Robb threw his hands up frustratedly as he paced about the tent.

"I see, you want to get her to trust you and be her knight in shining armor, right?"

"Something like that." Robb mumbled.

Theon shook his head and signaled to Robb that they should get back to their preparations. Theon had never been one for romances and didn't understand why people got involved with them; they required too much commitment in his eyes. He looked at Robb and almost pitied him for how much he cared for Dimeria; Theon knew Dimeria wouldn't open up to Robb like he wanted; she was as hard as a stone. He kept his thoughts to himself though, although it was unlikely, he didn't want to destroy what slim chances Robb did have with her.

…

Sweat covered her brow and her arms were heavy with fatigue, but she liked it. Robb had asked Dimeria to train his men to help them get ready for the upcoming battle and that's what she had been doing the past few days. The small tips she gave them had already made vast improvements. Dimeria found that she missed training other fighters; she reveled in the high energy and the adrenaline rush, the only thing missing was the thrill of fighting for your life as if you were in a real battle.

The men were astounded by Dimeria's skills and paid close attention to every word she said and every move she made. They gained a huge amount of respect for her in a short amount of days and were beginning to find her company much more enjoyable even though she was still brash and sometimes just plain rude. Blundering men often received comments such as:

"Who even let you in the army?"

"Why would anyone ever hand you a weapon?"

"By the gods, you are the dumbest man I have ever met!"

Much to Robb's surprise, they took the insults in good stride and made the improvements Dimeria demanded.

It was a little past midday and Dimeria decided to let the men have a break, for she too was becoming worn out. Hoping to improve upon her archery skills, she picked up a bow and some arrows and found a target. She made sure to keep the same form Robb had instructed her to use and in doing so, made a perfect shot.

"You do not often see a woman with such fighting prowess."

Dimeria turned to see Lady Stark gliding towards her. Her fiery red hair brought out her blue eyes and Dimeria realized that Robb inherited much of his features from his mother.

"You don't really have a choice when you're raised on The Wall." Dimeria said with a small smile.

"I can see." Lady Stark said returning the smile. "Would you accompany me on a walk, Dimeria? I do miss a woman's company these days."

Dimeria nodded yes, she felt as if she could hardly refuse. They walked side by side, Dimeria letting the cool breeze dry her sweat and Lady Stark closing her eyes as she basked in the sunlight.

"What was your life like at Castle Black, Dimeria? If you don't mind me asking." Catelyn said.

"Well, I guess if you were to, um, compare the lives of those who have, uh...taken The Black to those who haven't...it would be quite different." Dimeria found it hard to speak to Lady Stark. She knew she held a position of respect among the people and she felt like she needed to speak to her properly; the problem was that Dimeria lacked these manners.

"That doesn't tell me much of your life, dear." Catelyn said, seemingly unfazed by Dimeria's stuttering.

"What would you like to hear, Lady Stark?" Dimeria asked.

"Please, call me Catelyn. And anything...life at Castle Black sounds very intriguing."

Dropping her fake manners, Dimeria continued.

"Um, I guess I had a lot more freedom than most people do regarding the government system. I heard plenty of the men always complaining about the laws and how difficult their lives were. Being raised at The Wall, I could pretty much do whatever it was I wanted. The kingdoms just left us alone and I guess that's how they never found out that there was a female warrior there."

"My daughter Arya would have loved freedom such as that." Catelyn said sadly as she thought of her missing daughter.

Dimeria continued on with her explanation, feeling awkward about Lady Stark's unhappiness.

"Maester Aemon, he was Lord Commander at the time, took me in as a babe and started training me as a young child to wield a sword. His second in command, Jeor, was responsible for me most of the time. I owe most of my training to them."

"And what was it like being the only woman there?" Catelyn asked her curiously.

"I grew accustomed to it, I guess. Most of the men that are still there now knew me from a young age. Although, when I got older, there were many recruits that had trouble…um, restraining themselves. My fighting skills came into good use then." Dimeria said with a smile.

Lady Stark laughed beautifully then, making Dimeria feel more comfortable around her. Dimeria laughed along with her and couldn't help but notice that Robb had the same smile as her. Catelyn quieted down, but still had a beaming smile on her face.

"But you never had a septa? No schooling of any kind?" She questioned Dimeria.

"No, what little manners I do have I learned from Jeor and Aemon." Dimeria said, dropping their titles. "I know nothing of politics or whatever it is that a woman does in a normal household."

"I imagine you are what Arya would be like if she had her way." Catelyn said mentioning her daughter once more, only this time she didn't seem as sad; at least if she was, she didn't show it. "Come, I would like you to try something." She said to Dimeria, holding out her hand. Dimeria grabbed her hand and allowed Catelyn to lead her to her tent. Catelyn began rummaging through trunk and pulled out a dark blue gown, holding it up for Dimeria to see.

Dimeria raised her brows awkwardly and tried to smile. Catelyn laughed and said:

"Try it on!"

The crooked smile fell from Dimeria's face and she shook her head back and forth.

"Oh no, I couldn't. It's yours and I wouldn't want to ruin it."

"Don't be silly. This is an older one and even though I'm a bit taller than you, I think it will fit just fine." She said coming up to Dimeria and removing her cloak.

_Is __**this**__ what it's like to have a mother?_ Dimeria thought to herself.

Lady Stark set her cloak down and walked Dimeria behind a changing screen. Reluctantly, Dimeria began changing into the dress. She slipped into it easily, but continued standing behind the screen nervously.

"Um, what do I do with the strings?" She called out to Catelyn. A small chuckle escaped from Catelyn's lips and drifted to Dimeria's ears.

"Come out here, I will lace them for you."

Dimeria walked back out and turned, allowing Lady Stark to tie them. It seemed tight around her waist compared to the loose tunic she was accustomed to and her legs felt oddly bare, for there was no fabric covering them like her trousers normally did. She bit her lip anxiously, wondering why Lady Stark was doing this for her; she assumed it had something to do with missing her daughters.

Once Catelyn had finished lacing the dress up, she walked Dimeria over to a small mirror and allowed her to look upon her reflection. Dimeria raised her brows in surprise and ran her hands over the soft fabric covering her stomach. Although it was long on her and flowed down to the ground, it fit Dimeria in all the right spots and showed off every curve, which Dimeria didn't know she had. She couldn't stop staring at herself. The reflection didn't even look like her, more like the shadow of the woman she would have been if she hadn't been raised at Castle Black. Thoughts of what her life might have been like clouded her mind and she frowned unconsciously, drawing the attention of Lady Stark.

"Do you not like it?" She asked concernedly.

"Oh, it's beautiful...I'm just not really used to dresses." Dimeria said. It wasn't a lie, Dimeria was significantly uncomfortable; she had never worn a dress before.

"You will get used to it." Catelyn said with a smile. She suddenly grabbed a brush and released Dimeria's hair from its braid; gently stroking her mane and bringing out its shine. She grabbed the white strand of hair and braided it, bringing it around to the back and pinning it there with a beautiful clip in the shape of a rose.

"Why are you doing this?" Dimeria asked Catelyn.

Catelyn shrugged and said, "I miss my daughters, I guess this is my way of trying to cope. I hope this doesn't make you uncomfortable."

"No actually. I always wondered what it would be like to have a mother, now I have an idea."

Catelyn smiled through tears and brought Dimeria up to embrace her warmly. Again, it was something new for Dimeria, but she hugged her back tightly.

They walked out of Lady Stark's tent then, continuing their walk around the grounds. Dimeria very much enjoyed Catelyn's company and felt comfortable for one of the first times since she had gotten captured. Catelyn often laughed at Dimeria, for she stumbled around awkwardly for a while in her new dress. It brought a warm blush to Dimeria's cheeks, but it was soon forgotten with Lady Stark's kindness. They spent most of the day together and stopped on a small hill to watch the sunset.

"Lady Stark!" A voice called out. They both turned to see a guard, the same that had been posted at Dimeria's tent for a while, walking towards them. He saw Dimeria and widened his eyes substantially. "And uh, Lady Dimeria."

"Can we help you?" Catelyn said formally.

"Your son wishes to have a word with you in his tent." He said.

Lady Stark nodded and bringing Dimeria along, walked to Robb's tent. Dimeria was glad that Catelyn was walking quickly, for she felt the stares of the men watching her go by, most of them hardly recognizing Dimeria now that she was dressed like a real woman.

Lady Stark entered first, capturing Robb's attention quickly, but only to have it stolen by the sight of Dimeria. His eyes widened when he saw how beautiful she looked in the deep blue dress, which matched her eyes. Dimeria bit her lip shyly as she became aware of Robb's stare and she went to tuck her hair behind her ear, only to remember that Lady Stark had braided it back. Never had Dimeria felt so odd in the presence of men; she had always been around them, but she had never been so uncomfortable.

Lady Stark was more than aware of Robb's affection towards Dimeria, so she cleared her throat with a small smile that brought her son back to reality.

"You wished to speak with me?" She said getting him back on track.

Robb took one last glance at Dimeria and said, "Yes. We are riding out tomorrow, two thousand to Tywin Lannister's camp and the rest of us to Jaime's."

Both of the women swallowed the lumps that had formed in their throats at the thought of Robb going into battle, more so Catelyn than Dimeria. Not only had she lost her husband, but both her daughters were being held in King's Landing and she had been away from her 2 other sons for months now; Catelyn could hardly stand the thought of losing Robb to the Lannisters.

"I will see you off at first light." Catelyn said bravely.

"As will I." Dimeria said.

"No. I would actually prefer you to stay here." Robb said. Dimeria held back the confusion and hurt at his words, waiting for him to explain. "I would leave my mother in charge of the rest of the encampment, but I know that she will wait for me at the edge of the forest until I return safely." He said giving her a knowing smirk.

"Since she would not be present, you are the only other one I trust to handle things around here." He concluded.

Dimeria's mouth hung agape for a few moments, bringing a loud laugh from the back of the tent that came from Theon. She glowered at him, but had her attention brought back to Robb as he continued explaining.

"The men respect you and you are smart. I know you can handle it. Besides, most of us will be gone fighting, it shouldn't be too difficult."

"I will do my best." Dimeria said quietly. Robb smiled warmly at her, his heart still thumping rapidly at how radiant she looked in her dress.

"Theon, would you escort Lady Dimeria back to her tent." Robb said using a proper title for her.

"It would be my pleasure." Theon said with mock politeness. Dimeria rolled her eyes at him and cautiously took the arm he held out for her. Robb watched her leave and couldn't stop himself from staring at her curves which were much more prominent in the dress. Lady Stark again smiled knowingly, but a hint of sadness crept into her eyes.

"Robb." She said diverting his attention. She sighed greatly before continuing. "I wish you had the freedom to do as you heart wishes, but…"

"Mother-" He tried to interrupt.

"No, Robb. You have a duty to fulfill. You are promised to one of Lord Frey's daughters. You cannot trade the lives of your sisters for one girl…"

"Mother, I would never do that!" He said slightly raising his voice.

Catelyn inhaled sharply through her nose. "Dimeria is a kind girl. Getting to know her better this afternoon makes it harder for me to say this, but you cannot be with her. I swear, I wish the both of you no ill will, but we need to get Sansa and Arya back...they are our first priorities."

Robb looked down disappointedly, knowing his mother was right. But he couldn't just let Dimeria go, not after he had just started getting closer to her and not after she had started to possibly trust him.

"I cannot help what I feel for her, mother. I just…" He sighed, tears filling his eyes. "I don't want to let her go."

Catelyn could offer no words of solace to her son; she knew the pain of heartbreak could not so easily be mended. She gently took his head in her hands and kissed him on the cheek.

"I know...but you must." She said quietly. She quickly hugged him before leaving him in his tent to think things through. The only thing that came to mind though, was that he didn't want to leave Dimeria, he couldn't leave her.

…

"My mother said she enjoyed spending time with you today." Robb said to Dimeria as they ate dinner together.

"As did I."

Robb stared at her for a few moments, wondering what it was she was thinking.

"Do you like the dress she gave you?" He asked.

She shrugged nonchalantly, "It's a bit uncomfortable, but I suppose I'll get used to it."

"You actually plan on wearing it regularly?" He asked surprised.

"No, probably not." Dimeria laughed.

Robb laughed along and said, "You look absolutely beautiful in it."

Butterflies rose in Dimeria's stomach as she nervously picked at her food. She still hadn't gotten quite used to the way Robb paid her with compliments; she never got them back at Castle Black unless they were talking about how good of a fighter she was. She still didn't really quite understand why Robb cared for her, but she knew he wouldn't stop. The only thing she could do to ensure she didn't get hurt and that Robb didn't get hurt, was to make sure they didn't go any further.

"Robb?"

He raised his eyebrows at her, signaling she had his attention.

"Getting your sisters back is your mother's first priority...and yours, I assume." Robb nodded letting her continue. "And finding my parents is very important to me."

"What are you trying to say?" Robb said trying to draw her thoughts out.

"Your mother does not want us to be involved with each other the way we are, am I correct?"

Again, Robb nodded.

"Everyone knows and if they don't, I assume they will find out soon enough; I was just thinking that...if they know that you and I are involved, yet you are supposed to marry the Frey girl, could that not anger your men?"

"It might." Robb said simply.

"And that does not bother you?" Dimeria asked.

"Not particularly."

Frustration ignited in her then. "How can it not?!" She said raising her voice. "If they are angered, than they might not serve you any longer and then you would lose men and then you will never get your sisters back. And I will not let that fault fall upon my shoulders!"

Dimeria had since then stood up and Robb followed suit.

"I will not come to that." He assured her. "I know that I have to marry Lord Frey's daughters, but if I can find a way out of it...I will."

"Robb, I cannot let you endanger your family...for me."

"I would do anything for you, Dimeria, if only you would open up your heart enough to allow me to do so." Robb said as he walked closer to her and grabbed her hands.

She shook her though, and backed away. "I can't, Robb. I know you want me to change, but I just can't. You deserve someone who can love you back...not me."

"You're the one I want, Dimeria. I'll wait a thousand years for you if I have to." Robb said.

Again, Dimeria shook her head, but when she back away, she completely left the tent. Robb sighed and made no move to follow her. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. Just when he thought they were beginning to make progress, they took another step back.

Perhaps his mother would end up getting what she wanted, even if it meant getting his heart broken.

…

"_**So you got rid of her? She is no longer in King's Landing?"**_

"_**No, your grace. I sent her with a man from-"**_

"_**Shut up! I don't care where she is now as long as it's not here!"**_

_**A young Jaime Lannister heard the booming voice down the hall from King Aerys' chambers. He raised a curious brow and quietly crept closer to hear the heated conversation. He was still a teenager, the youngest member of the Kingsguard, which meant that curiosity overpowered his better judgment.**_

"_**I apologize, your grace." A soft voice said from within the doors. "I just thought that maybe you wanted to know where she was."**_

_**He heard the king sigh and then his footsteps around the room. Jaime straightened up, just in case the king came out. Instead, he continued speaking.**_

"_**No. I must know though, did anyone see you? Does anyone know about her?" **_

"_**No, your grace. I made sure I spoke to no one."**_

_**Suddenly, Jaime heard soft footsteps coming from behind him. He turned the see Aerys' wife walking towards him, eyes forward as she came closer to her chambers. **_

"_**Ser Jaime." She said in greeting.**_

_**Jaime only nodded as he once again heard the king start speaking again.**_

"_**Good. It is over then; the girl is no longer my concern."**_

_**At that moment, Aerys' wife strode past Jaime and into her chambers asking, "Who is no longer your concern?"**_

_**Jaime heard a small gasp coming from the handmaiden that the king had spoken to and she quickly walked out of the room after being dismissed. He quickly followed the small maid and grabbed her by the elbow, jerking her back to him. Again she gasped, fear plain in her eyes. **_

"_**Who was it the king was speaking of?" Jaime asked the girl. She tried yanking her arm out of his grasp, but he held on tightly.**_

"_**I asked you a question." He said squeezing her arm even tighter.**_

"_**King Aerys has bid me not to speak of it. He said he would have my tongue if I ever mentioned it to anyone!" She spoke frantically.**_

"_**I guarantee that I can find a way for him to have your tongue any other reason if you do not tell me who it was he spoke of." Jaime threatened her.**_

_**Tears spilled from the poor maid's eyes as she quietly told him, "His bastard daughter."**_

…

The repressed memory came surging forward in Jaime's mind as he caught a glimpse of Dimeria. She resembled her father more ways than none, only those who had worked closely around him could pick them out. The strand of white hair though, that's what really gave it away. He only got one quick look at her as she came running from the heart of the encampment towards the Stark men. He noted the relieved look on her face when she saw the Stark boy coming forward. Robb's men continued to drag him on, forcing him to crane his neck backwards in order to see Dimeria, but the moment was gone. They were soon tying Jaime to a post, securing him tightly and delivering a kick to his ribs before they left. He groaned as he sat back up, cursing himself for being in his current position. He couldn't believe he had been captured, no less by the Stark boy! His father would hear of it though, and his sister; they would not leave him there to rot in the north. Jaime was confident that they would do anything to get him back and they would do it quickly.

The night wore on and he listened as the Stark men cheered from their tents. Even the 2 men guarding him managed to ignore his snide comments long enough to bask in their good fortune. Jaime's thought's turned back to Dimeria, although he didn't know that was her name. He tried to recall every feature he had seen, making sure that he wasn't making a mistake. But he knew he wasn't. There was no doubt about it. He chuckled quietly to himself, making sure the guards didn't hear him.

_I guess Tyrion still is the smart one…_ He thought to himself.

Tyrion was right. Dimeria was a bastard child of King Aerys' Targaryen.

There was still a Targaryen within the Seven Kingdoms.

_**They finally captured Jaime! Thought I'd put a little flashback in there with Jaime to let you guys know that, yes, he is aware of who Dimeria is along with Tyrion.**_

_**Remember to review...they give me motivation!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_**Part 14 is here! Thanks **__**ZabuzasGirl **__**for the review and to **__**Katie-Lady16**__** for the super sweet comment on the last chapter! It seriously just made my day when I read it. This part has a lot of Jaime in it so I hope I wrote him well. Let me know what you think!**_

The men came back on their horses, glorious smiles upon their faces. Dimeria saw Robb dismount his horse and she almost fell to the ground in relief. Her knees went weak and she thought her stomach had turned inside out; she feared she would never see Robb again. They embraced each other tightly, not caring about the men seeing them together. To them, it was as if they were the only 2 people in the world; no one else existed at that moment. As they held each other, Dimeria forgot about the words she had said to Robb the night before; none of it mattered. The two of them never got a moment alone that night, the men were much too excited about their victory and Robb, being the good man he was, reminded them that there was still a long road ahead of them, that their fight was not over. The battle had changed him, Dimeria noticed. He was still brave and noble, but the fighting had hardened him, taken away some of the innocence he had possessed before.

It did not help when Robb received word that his father had died.

Dimeria wasn't sure how to comfort him; she had no clue what it felt like to lose a parent, but she wondered if it was anything like finding out that someone had lied to you your entire life. If so, she understood Robb and Catelyn better than she thought.

Robb came back to his tent (where Dimeria had been waiting), red-eyed and exhausted. The joy and pride he felt when he captured the Kingslayer had absolutely diminished when he got word of his father. He looked into Dimeria's eyes and saw the pity and comfort she wasn't sure how to express. Not knowing what else to do, they embraced each other and Robb continued crying into her shoulder as she stroked his curly hair. She gently soothed him and sat down with him on the bed, his head still pressed into the crook of her neck. The stroking came naturally to Dimeria, something which surprised her.

"Shhh, it's okay." She whispered gently in his ear.

"It's not." He sobbed. "You don't know what it's like, Dimeria. You don't know."

Dimeria could hear the pain and anguish in his voice and it hurt her to know he was feeling this way. A weakness she hated herself for having. She pulled Robb away from her shoulder gently, for he had calmed down significantly and the only tears that remained were quietly streaming down his face.

"You're right; I don't know what it's like to lose a parent." She said quietly.

"No, I didn't mean it like that…" Robb said pressing his hands to his face.

"I know, it's okay." She assured him. "But...I know what it's like to lose someone you cared for."

Robb looked at her curiously; this was the first time Dimeria had ever hinted at her past life...the more personal aspect of it anyway. She took a deep breath to get her thoughts in order, she felt as if she owed it to Robb to share this with him after everything he had done for her.

"I've known for my entire life what I am-a bastard. I accepted it at a young age. As long as I could fight with my sword I was happy; it didn't matter to me who my parents were. Jeor and Aemon did a good enough job in my opinion. I never realized it then, but I guess I considered them my makeshift parents." She bit her lip, never realizing that she cared for Jeor and Aemon so much.

"They never told me about my parents and I didn't care, but then I heard them talking one day."

"About what?" Robb asked quietly, his tears finally coming to a stop.

"They said that if I ever found out who I really was, it could be dangerous...they didn't want to tell me who my parents were and I hated them for it." She looked at Robb, her own eyes watering with salty tears.

"I felt betrayed. My entire life, I thought I was just a simple bastard child...no special story or anything, but then I found out that they had been keeping it a secret. My life. They knew everything about it, yet they wouldn't tell me...the two people who raised me kept my entire life hidden from me. I didn't want to have anything to do with them when I found out. That was when I lost them."

"And that's why you're travelling south, to find your parents?" Robb asked.

"Yes. I didn't tell you before because-"

"You didn't trust me." He finished for her.

She nodded yes and gave him a small smile. She felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders; she had never been that honest with someone ever since she left Castle Black. Robb kissed her gently and mumbled against her lips:

"Thank you."

"For what?" She whispered back.

"For trusting me just enough to tell me now."

Dimeria smiled and soon felt his lips back on hers. She didn't know what it was about Robb, but somehow he could make her forget everything; all the things that had once pained her and all the reasons she was so guarded…

and she hated it.

…

The King in the North.

The men chanted and cried vehemently as they declared Robb their king. They looked up to Robb, Dimeria realized, even though he was half the age of most of his men. She gazed around at all the men who were now standing on their feet, continuing their cheers.

She thought it was all ridiculous.

They were currently fighting a war to get rid of a king, yet they just named a new king? What was the point? Dimeria silently got up and walked away from the brunt of the encampment. She just couldn't fathom why the men felt the need to have a king. Didn't they want to be free? She shook her head and came to the conclusion that the further south of The Wall you went, the stupider people got.

Dimeria began walking up a small incline towards the posts where the prisoners were kept; it was quieter in that area and gave her the atmosphere she needed to think. Hurried stomps and quick breaths sounded before her and she looked up to see a perturbed Catelyn Stark walking away from the area of the prisoners.

"Lady Stark-uh, Catelyn, is everything alright?" Dimeria asked her.

"Yes, I am fine." She answered with a nervous smile. "Is there anything you need?" She asked wondering why Dimeria was wandering about by herself.

"Oh no, I was just taking a walk...to clear my mind."

"Would you like me to join you?" Catelyn asked.

"Don't worry about it, I prefer time by myself."

Catelyn smiled kindly, but continued to glance warily behind her towards the prisoners. She nodded to Dimeria and went on her way, causing Dimeria to furrow her brows in confusion. Dimeria continued walking up the small hill. The night was dark with hardly any stars in the sky to cast light upon the ground. Her feet crunched on dead grass and twigs, making the silence of the darkness shatter like breaking glass.

"What's a pretty lady like yourself doing out here all alone?"

Dimeria glanced down at the prisoner tied uncomfortably to a post.

"It could be dangerous, ya know." He continued. "Some men just can't handle themselves."

She smirked and snorted at his attempt at taunting her.

"I grew up with men who were put in prison for raping women. Don't worry about me."

The prisoner looked up from the mud and peered through his dirty hair at Dimeria. His eyes widened when he saw it was her and he immediately sat up straighter.

"What's your name?" He demanded more than asked.

"And why should I tell you?" She said with narrow eyes.

"I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

"I already know who you are, Lannister." Dimeria said, rolling her eyes in the darkness.

"Well if you know who I am, I believe I should be given the same courtesy." Jaime said without missing a beat. Dimeria sighed and gave in.

"Dimeria."

"You're the bastard girl from The Wall." Jaime said.

"You know of me?" She asked suspiciously.

"The men here never shut up about you...and my brother spoke rather highly of you when he returned from Castle Black."

"The men here are idiots." Dimeria spat.

"I agree!" Jaime said with a laugh. Dimeria still stood in front of him, staring off into the and almost cringing every time she heard the men chant, _King in the North! _Jaime took notice and asked:

"The King in the North, is that what they're chanting?" He said looking to Dimeria. "Why don't you join them, you seem rather fond of the Stark boy."

Dimeria felt a warm blush creep into her cheeks and hoped that the darkness around her concealed it.

"Idiots do idiotic things...I don't want to chant to 'the king in the north.' Chanting along with them would mean I pledge loyalty to Robb Stark. I am loyal to no one except myself."

"Not loyal to Robb Stark? You seemed so happy to see him when he returned the other day. Or are you just happy to spread your legs for him?"

Dimeria turned on him quickly, her eyes narrowed dangerously. Jaime could almost feel the cold hatred she had for him at the moment and he instinctively backed his head away as far as he could.

"I am loyal to no one...and I spread my legs for NO ONE." She growled angrily and emphasized each word.

"An admirable trait…one that most women, I'm afraid, don't possess now a days." He said with a smirk. "Although, I guess you don't know many women since you were raised on The Wall."

Dimeria didn't answer, finding every horrible thing Robb said about Jaime to be true. He was arrogant and crass; Dimeria thought herself lucky that she had been around men like that all the time at Castle Black. She gazed at him curiously, wondering about another thing Robb had said about Jaime. Did women really think he was handsome? She couldn't see it, but she supposed that was due to the fact that he was dirty and most likely sitting in his own shit. Still, she couldn't pass up the opportunity to maybe dent his pride a bit.

"Do women actually find you attractive? I must say I don't see it at all."

"Well, you wouldn't since you are so obsessed with Robb Stark." He replied quickly.

"I am not obsessed with him!" She said raising her voice and bringing an even bigger smirk to Jaime's face.

"Lady Dimeria?"

A guard began walking up to her with a concerned look upon his features. "Is everything okay here?" He asked glaring at Jaime.

"Everything is fine." She snapped. Closing her eyes and collecting herself she said, "I was just taking a walk around the encampment, its okay."

The guard nodded and turned back around, resuming his prior activities. Dimeria also began to turn away, fed up with Jaime's comments.

"Wait!" He called back to her. She turned, preparing herself for another obnoxious remark. "Do you think you could spare me some water? These idiot men have not supplied me sufficiently."

Dimeria raised her brows and walked a step or two closer, removing the water skin that hung on her belt. She brought it to her lips and drained it of its contents, holding it upside down for Jaime to see.

"I'm sorry. I seem to have run out." She said feigning politeness. She gave him an overly sweet smile and finally turned to walk away.

The same smirk still resided upon Jaime's face; he was almost amused at her last little stunt, but it quickly dulled down to a thoughtful expression as he watched Dimeria walk away.

_You truly are a Targaryen, aren't you?_ Jaime thought to himself.

…

"Robb, if you want to trade him for you sisters, you're going to have to keep him in good condition." Dimeria pleaded with Robb. He was not exactly pleased when he saw Dimeria returning from speaking with the Kingslayer. Dimeria was fairly objective about the matter of keeping Jaime alive; it wasn't her war or enemies they were fighting, but she understood how important Jaime was to everyone.

"I honestly doubt his family will exchange Arya and Sansa if he is nearly beaten and starved to death." She said in an effort to further make her point.

"He pushed my brother from a window, Dimeria. Why should I treat him with anything other than hatred?" Robb spat out angrily.

"Because you want your sisters back." Dimeria answered firmly.

Robb turned away, hating that she was right in this matter. Robb was finding himself becoming increasingly annoyed with Dimeria lately; she was too smart for her own good. They had moved the encampment further into the Riverlands, defeating every Lannister army they encountered and each one increasing the moral of his men. Thankfully, he had Dimeria by his side, many times advising him on complicated matters, but she was bold. She often made him look stupid, questioning his authority and the choices he made. It wouldn't have been so bad if she weren't right all the time, but she was. He knew he shouldn't have been getting angry with her; she was ultimately helping his cause, but he couldn't ignore how inferior she made him feel sometimes.

"I can tend to him to make sure your men don't further harm him. You need him alive." Dimeria offered him.

He nodded with his back still turned to her. Robb wished she would come up behind him, grab his hand and comfort him, tell him that although times were hard...it would get better. He knew she wouldn't though, that was not who Dimeria was. There were times, very rare times, when Dimeria softened up and showed her sensitive side (It was very small in comparison to her tough side.). It was those moments Robb treasured and they were coming more often, making the rough patches worthwhile.

Dimeria walked out quickly, causing a loud swish of the tent flap. The hustle and bustle of the camp had significantly increased the more battles Robb's army fought and Dimeria had taken it upon herself to help with the wounded. She had nothing better to do and she was fairly good at tending to people's injuries. Robb was a fierce leader, but also merciful; he kept many of the still surviving enemies as hostages rather than executing them. Dimeria sometimes wondered if it was better to just end their lives, for most of them seemed pretty miserable sitting in the mud and their own shit. It was one of the many things Dimeria had argued with Robb about, but he was adamant about keeping them alive.

Seeing many of the other handmaidens running about to wounded men, Dimeria grabbed a large bowl filled with water, some rags, and some cloth to wrap the injuries up. By the time she reached the Kingslayer, her hair was trickled with sweat and she had already had to get more water 3 times. She felt it was her duty to at least try to keep Jaime in healthy condition, so she grabbed a couple pieces of bread to feed him; he most likely hadn't been fed in several days. When she got to the post he was tied up to that was also surrounded by a small wooden cage, the portal to enter by had already been swung open by a guard who was currently kicking Jaime in the ribs.

"What do you think you're doing?!" She snapped at the guard, immediately grabbing his attention. Jaime remained slumped in the ground, groaning slightly.

"Lady Dimeria! Uh, the Kingslayer...he was-"

"He was what?" She said impatiently.

"A couple of us were trying to train...he wouldn't shut his damn mouth, so I decided to shut it for him." The guard said.

"I was merely trying to give you some tips." Jaime moaned as he sat back up.

Dimeria sighed audibly and wiped the back of her hand across her forehead.

"What is your name?" She asked the guard.

"Tulkas, of House-"

"I don't care." She interrupted him. He pinched his lips together and looked down at his feet. "Tulkas, do you realize who this is?"

"Of course, he-"

"Jaime Lannister, commonly referred to as the best swordsman in Westeros. If he is giving advice with a sword, you should most likely take it."

"The only advice I will willingly take is from you, Lady Dimeria." Tulkas said trying to sound brave.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and tucked her white hairs behind her ear.

"Go about your duties, Tulkas. And drop the, 'lady' from my name." She told him as he began to walk away.

She walked up to Jaime and knelt down, gently settling all of the supplies on the ground.

"Don't like being called, Lady?" Jaime questioned her.

"I'm not of a high born house, there's no need for it." She answered. "Drink." She held up a small cup filled with cool water up to Jaime's lips. He gave her a suspicious glance, but then willingly gulped it down.

"He was rather smitten with you, wasn't he?" He asked, receiving a questioning look from Dimeria. "I mean the fact that he 'only takes advice from you'." He said mockingly. "You must be a gifted fighter...my brother said you were."

"I might be." She answered curtly as she dipped some of the cloth in the bowl of water.

"You and I could fight. That would surely test your skills." Jaime said mischievously.

"I thought you and I agreed that the men were idiots...not me."

"That's true, can't blame me for trying though." He said with a smile.

"I can blame you for the poor attempt." Dimeria said smiling back and rolling her eyes.

Jaime laughed in response and watched Dimeria as she readied her things. She scooted closer to him on her knees, slightly bumping his side. He winced visibly and said:

"Ah! Careful, I think he may have bruised my ribs."

"I'll take a look at them later." She mumbled as she pushed his hair aside, trying to get at the cut along his face. It wasn't deep and most likely wouldn't scar too badly, but she wanted to make sure it didn't fester. She wiped the dirt from his face, revealing his golden skin and gently dabbed at the cut. Once again, Jaime winced.

"Could you be more careful?" He snipped at her.

"Could you stop complaining?" She snapped back, frustration evident in her voice. She sat back on her heels and gave Jaime a serious look.

"Ya know Lannister, most of these people want you dead. It took me a long while to convince Robb not to let his men beat you to death or burn you at the stake!"

"And why would you do that?" He asked curiously.

"Because…" She said going back to cleaning his wound, "Robb needs you alive and in good condition if he wants to get his sisters back."

"Really? Are you sure it's not because me and my charming personality have grown on you?" He asked sarcastically.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but no...that's not it." She paused and then said, "Actually...I'm not sorry to disappoint you."

"Such rude behavior from a little lady." Jaime teased her with his customary smirk on his face.

"I'm not 'a little lady'." She said mimicking his voice.

"Ah right, you're a little warrior."

Not having any better response, Dimeria proceeded to push down harder on his cut, causing him to move away in pain. She smirked contently after getting the reaction she wanted and then grabbed a piece of bread for him.

"Eat this." She said holding it up to his mouth. "Then I'll take a look at your ribs."

He chewed quickly, relishing the simple taste of bread. Jaime never thought he would miss such a common food, but after not being fed for several days, bread looked like a stuffed pig. Dimeria lifted up his tunic, making Jaime hiss in pain, but she ignored it. His ribs were a little bruised and after poking and rubbing her hands along his sides, she was able to tell they weren't broken.

"Try to keep your mouth shut and maybe they'll be able to heal without you getting them broken." She said offering him the second piece of bread.

He rolled his eyes and with bread in his mouth asked, "So what did it take for you to convince the young wolf to not let his men beat me?"

"Not much, just my brilliant mind and good looks." She said with a triumphant smile.

Jaime gave a loud and very sarcastic smile, drawing curious looks their way and earning an annoyed glare from Dimeria.

"What's so hard to believe about that, Lannister? Are those not qualities that you pride yourself on having?" She asked him.

He stopped laughing and eyed her curiously. "You are the only person here that doesn't call me Kingslayer. Why is that?"

She shrugged her shoulders and began gathering her supplies. "He wasn't my king, why should I care?" She stood up and tucked her hair behind her ear. She began walking out when she turned back and said:

"Try not to anger the guards; I won't always be here to save your ass." She said with a smirk.

"Oh, I have a feeling you will be, my little warrior." He called to her back.

Jaime watched her until she was just a silhouette on the horizon. He began chuckling to himself. It was quite ironic how she didn't care that he killed the Mad King. After all, it was her own father that he stabbed.

…

"Stannis Baratheon has laid claim to the throne." Robb said impassively.

"Who?" Dimeria asked. She felt a warm hand on her own and looked into Catelyn Stark's eyes.

"He is the elder brother of the late king, Robert Baratheon. His younger brother is Renley Baratheon."

Dimeria nodded in understanding and turned back to Robb thoughtfully. He had set down the letter he received and nervously began pacing about the room. Eyeing him quizzically, Lady Stark reached across and grabbed the letter to read it for herself. Dimeria observed her reaction attentively, trying to get a read on how Catelyn was feeling without having to ask. Catelyn's face immediately paled and she held her breath, her hands shaking quite visibly. Dimeria tensed her body, not comfortable with other people's feelings and she looked to Robb for help. He had already set his gaze on his mother and was practically radiating concern.

"What is it?" Dimeria drawled out slowly.

"The acting king, Joffrey Baratheon...is no Baratheon." Catelyn answered with an unsure voice.

"And whose child is he…" Dimeria asked.

"The Kingslayer's." Robb growled bitterly.

Surprise and disgust filled Dimeria's mind. "You mean he has been fucking his own sister?!" She said loudly and causing Catelyn to flinch.

"Dimeria." Robb snapped at her.

"I'm sorry…" Dimeria said regretting her words. "It's just...I can't believe-" She stopped not able to voice her thoughts.

"So Joffrey is not the rightful king." Catelyn said. "And not only has Stannis laid claim to the throne, but also Renley. What are you going to do Robb?"

"I'm not sure yet." Robb said honestly. "Renley has a larger army, but Stannis is more experienced in wars." He said weighing out his options.

A shadowed look came over his face then, darkening his Tully blue eyes and making his already firm jaw appear harder. His expression looked almost as if anger had a face; as if anger itself had been personified. All the pieces suddenly fit together in his mind of why everything was happening, why it had all began.

"That's why he pushed Bran." He said darkly. Catelyn peered at him, not understand his words, but Dimeria knew immediately what he meant and she closed her eyes mournfully.

"Bran saw them together." Whispered, quietly finishing Robb's thoughts.

Catelyn covered her mouth, a sob escaping her mouth as tears began streaming down her cheeks. Robb narrowed his eyes and flared his nostrils, rage bubbling inside him, but he knew he couldn't act out on it; he was a leader, a king...he needed to handle this diplomatically. He looked back to his mother who was now steadily crying next to Dimeria, who looked absolutely stunned at what had just been revealed, and then walked out of the tent.

Dimeria took one last look at Catelyn and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, hoping her touch would be enough, but she knew it wouldn't be. She quietly walked out of the tent and back to her own, wondering where it was Robb was going. Sleep claimed her quickly that night, but it was filled with strange dreams that made her toss and turn on the bed.

It started out like the same dream she had several months ago at The Wall with her being surrounded by fire. When it lashed out at her though, it didn't burn her like it did before; in fact, she could hardly feel it. She was able to defend herself, but she quickly tired and fell to the ground in exhaustion. Wind rushed over her body like in her last dream, but it was warm and soothing this time. She sat up straight in her bed, her breath coming in rapid pants. It was still late at night and the only thing she could see was a mysterious glowing coming from her tent. It seemed to come from her dragon eggs and for some reason, that brought her comfort. She rolled over on her side so she would be able to face them as she thought over her strange dream. Eventually, the glowing began to blur at the edges and her eyelids became heavier and once again, sleep claimed her body. For reasons unknown to her, her second dream that night involved Jaime Lannister.

_**Remember to leave reviews, I love reading them! Hope you all are enjoying!**_

_**Until next time...**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**Sorry for the longer wait than usual, I got pretty busy this last week :) Big thanks to **__**Beleram1238, ManonVarendaz, ghg, Katie-Lady16, **__**and **__**ZabuzasGirl**__** for reviewing the last chapter!**_

_**Enjoy part 15!**_

Warm breaths exploded onto her face rapidly, waking her from her strange dreams.

"Grey Wind!" She heard a rough whisper enter her tent and she sat up to see Robb poking his head in.

Robb saw her sit up and so he entered into her tent fully.

"I apologize, I did not mean for him to wake you."

"It's alright." She said with a tired smile as she ran her hand down Grey Wind's soft fur coat. A large yawn escaped her mouth and stretched her arms upward, causing the dire wolf to shift away from her.

"Where did you go off to last night?" She asked Robb.

"I had business to attend to." He answered discreetly.

Dimeria rolled her eyes, not satisfied with the answer. She didn't necessarily blame him though, she kept things from people all the time; it was only fair that they should be able to do the same, but Dimeria was selfish sometimes...she wanted to know and when she didn't find out, she usually got pretty angry.

"Yes, well so do I. Excuse me, my lord." She said mockingly trying to walk past him. She stopped and looked back saying, "Wait, it's your grace now, isn't it? I apologize."

He pulled her back by the arm, not releasing his grip even though she was right up against his chest.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He questioned her.

"Nothing, your grace. I'm just giving you the proper respect a king deserves."

Confusion flashed across Robb's face. "I never asked to be king, Dimeria."

"And I never asked to be a bastard child, but it still happened." She said icily.

"Why are you acting like this?" He asked raising his voice and slightly tightening his grip.

"I could ask you the same thing!" She said wincing from his vice-like grip. "You think you're too good for me now, every time I have an opinion on something you treat me like a child!"

Robb's face dropped suddenly and his handle on her wrist relaxed.

"Just because I'm a bastard child doesn't mean I can't help. Stop pretending you're some high and mighty god, because you're not. You're barely even a king Robb!" She shouted.

Instead of retreating from her like most people would have done, Robb pushed Dimeria towards him by the small of her back and stopped her words with a hard kiss. The kiss stole Dimeria's breath away and she hated her body for betraying her mind with the physical desire he ignited within. Dimeria kissed him back just as hard, allowing his tongue entrance into her mouth. The passion she felt at the moment didn't leave any room for her mind to comprehend the confusion, the questioning sense as to why Robb was kissing her like this. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, never wanting to let go of him. Robb broke the kiss and looked deeply into her eyes, tears filling his own. Dimeria leaned her head back a little, completely taken off guard from the sudden emotion from Robb. She moved her hand to caress his cheek, gaining a kiss on her palm from him as he leaned into her touch. His eyes closed and single tear rolled down his cheek.

"I need you Dimeria. I can handle my bannermen and the soldiers losing respect for me like that, but not you. I need you to believe in me." He whispered so quietly that Dimeria almost had to hold her own breath to hear him.

Dimeria had no words to console him, truth be told she was still upset with him, but she held it within and buried it deep down inside almost as if she was waiting for the right time to unleash it...just like she did with the all of her feelings towards Robb.

She couldn't afford to let her feelings cloud her judgment. Emotions made people vulnerable which was what was happening to her whenever she was with Robb. But every time she tried to distance herself from him, a hole formed in her heart. It ripped and tore every time they fought and she would find herself missing him. Deep down she knew she needed to put an end to it, but for right now, she was perfectly content just being in his arms.

…

"Lady Dimeria?"

Dimeria turned around to see Tulkas walking up to her.

"Yes?" She asked. In her hands was another bowl of water, a cup, and some more bread for Jaime. She had already finished seeing to the other prisoners and was ready to finish up with him.

"One of the prisoners was giving one of the handmaidens, Maia, a hard time...taunting her and threatening to rape her."

"What am I supposed to do about it?" She asked indignantly as they walked closer to Jaime's post.

"Well, the girl is in tears and doesn't want to tend to him anymore." Tulkas informed her.

Dimeria rolled her eyes and said, "And you're telling me this because…"

"She was wondering if you could see to his wounds."

She scoffed and stopped in front of Jaime's post, who had been listening to the conversation since he had nothing else to do.

"Tell her to suck it up and deal with it. I have more important things to worry about than her sensitivity." She snapped.

"But, Lady Dimeria…"

"I can do it." A voice said.

Dimeria turned to see Talisa, one of the other handmaidens behind her. She was a foreign girl and one of the few people Dimeria didn't hate in the encampment.

"Are you sure?" Tulkas asked Talisa. She nodded in confirmation and gave a small smile to Dimeria who returned it gratefully. Tulkas walked away, leaving Dimeria alone with Jaime.

Before kneeling down next to him, Dimeria looked up to the sky; something she had been doing for most of the day. There was a comet in the sky, trailing red behind it like a flowing cape of blood. She settled down next to Jaime who was still softly chuckling about the way Dimeria had responded to situation with the prisoner threatening Maia.

"You do realize that most women aren't accustomed to getting threatened with rape the way you are?" He asked her with a smirk.

"They better get used to it if they're going to be tending to prisoners." Dimeria said annoyedly. In her mind, the world would be a much better place if women weren't so damn sensitive all the time. Irritation still itched at Dimeria's mind, threatening her with no relief until she scratched at it.

"I don't understand why people are like that, mainly women!" She said as she wiped to the grime off of Jaime's brow. He looked to her, interested in what she had to say.

"I guarantee men wouldn't threaten to rape women if they knew that the girls could defend themselves. Being sensitive and-and…"

"Wimpy?" Jaime offered.

"Yes! Being sensitive and wimpy doesn't get you anywhere. People will only take advantage of you if they realize you can't stand up for yourself. It's infuriating! Just...toughen up and get over it." She said angrily.

"I agree." Jaime said after considering her words. "It's especially annoying when women want the same rights as men, yet they still want the coddling when they get treated equally as one."

"Exactly! If you want to be treated equally, don't be such a baby. I mean, men aren't all that great, but they go through a lot and you all end up coming out stronger. Women go through one rough patch and act as if their life is over and-"

Dimeria stopped at the sound of Jaime's laughter and frowned at him.

"What's so funny, Lannister?"

"Nothing, nothing it's just…" He looked at her while still smiling and asked, "how long have you kept that all bottled up inside?"

Dimeria thought about it and realized she hadn't really ranted about anything like that for months now, not since she had left Castle Black. Now that she took a moment, she realized there was no longer any tightness in her chest; she felt free and relaxed, not tense and angry like she usually was. Although, surprise also ran through her veins at how easily she had spoken to Jaime. She had been with Robb for several months now and not once had she felt comfortable enough to rave as she just had. Perhaps it was the fact that she wasn't afraid of what Jaime might think of her like she was deep down with Robb. Maybe it was even because she felt Robb had enough going on without her unloading her anger on him, or maybe it was just because she didn't really even like Jaime; he was just someone she had to tend to.

"A long time, I guess." She breathed out. Again, Jaime chuckled and willingly let Dimeria wipe the dirt from his face.

His cut was starting heal so she didn't pay much attention to it, most of her attention was still focused on the comet in the sky. Jaime noticed her diverted gaze and began wondering what she was so interested in.

"Aren't you supposed to be cleaning my wound?" He asked impudently.

"What do you think it means?" Dimeria asked still looking upwards.

"What are you talking about?" He asked resting the back of his head against the post and closing his eyes.

"The comet, dumbass."

"Watch your words, little warrior. One day I'll be out of these chains and I might just repay you." He threatened calmly.

Dimeria only shook her head and rolled her eyes. She wasn't sure how she felt about Jaime's new nickname for her, but at least it was better than being called, "Lady Dimeria."

"Some of the handmaidens were talking about it. They had different theories about what it meant." Dimera continued. She looked to Jaime, wondering if he was even listening, for his eyes were still closed and his head still rested on the post.

"And what did these handmaidens say?" Jaime asked, giving an answer to Dimeria's unspoken speculation.

"One said it represents Robb's victory. Another said it means something about your family's triumph in the south. Some others said that it means that there are dragons again." Dimeria said the last one with particular interest and excitement. Jaime opened one eye to look at her face, not really surprised that she was intrigued by the prospect of dragons; she was a Targaryen after all.

"Dragons? That's ridiculous." He said closing his eyes and relaxing again.

Anger steamed through her pores at his comment.

"Others believe it indicates how your son Joffrey-"

Dimeria clamped her mouth and shot her eyes back to Jaime. He had since then raised his head once more and his eyes were very alert.

"Hm, so even you know about that?"

Dimeria looked down and began fiddling with the cloth she had grabbed while she nervously bit her lip.

"I don't know why I'm surprised, the Stark boy tells you everything doesn't he?" Jaime said with a cruel smirk.

"I didn't mean for that to come out." Dimeria muttered.

"You should probably get some control over your mouth...it could get you into trouble one day." Jaime warned her with what seemed like friendly advice, but at the same time a threat.

"Yes, I've been told." She said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. It's not my place to judge you for your actions."

Dimeria hated apologizing, she had way too much pride to ever get the hang of it. Dimeria enjoyed being right, who didn't? And every time she was wrong she felt embarrassed, angry, ashamed, and many other things all at the same time. She would rather have someone rip off her fingernails one by one than willingly apologize. Yet with Jaime, she knew he could most likely end her life if he got the chance; she wasn't going to risk that. She looked to his eyes after she apologized and was surprised he wasn't seething with anger. His emerald green eyes were entrancing and she wondered what they would look like if he had them open to their full capacity, but they were narrowed slightly, looking at her curiously and maybe even with a little appreciation. Although the appreciation was hidden from Dimeria.

She heard Jaime sigh and he looked down at the bread and water.

"Feed me the bread and water and perhaps I'll forgive you." He said with his customary smirk back on his face.

Dimeria offered him a small smile and brought the cup to his lips, watching him drink eagerly. She gave him the bread and after he chewed he asked:

"So, I take it you like dragons?"

"I find them fascinating, yes." Dimeria confirmed trying to hold back her excitement.

"How did you come to learn of them? Surely they didn't teach you about them at The Wall?"

"Robb told me about them." She said simply. Jaime chuckled to himself as he took notice of how Dimeria neglected to use Robb's proper title.

"I also, um...I also have 2 dragon eggs." Dimeria said hesitantly. Robb was the only other person that knew about her dragons eggs and she wasn't sure if it was safe to tell anyone else for fear of them being stolen. Jaime was a prisoner though, he wouldn't be able to take them.

Jaime raised his brows in surprise and even felt his jaw drop a little bit. Only a month or so ago, the late King Robert had ordered the death of Daenarys Targaryen for raising an army across the Narrow Sea; Jaime could only imagine what he would have done if he had known her half sister was within the Seven Kingdoms.

"Impressive." Jaime commended her. "How did you come by those?"

"Well I-" Dimera began, but she was rudely interrupted by someone shouting her name.

"Dimeria!"

She turned to see Robb walking towards her and wasn't sure if she felt excitement or maybe even a little nausea; it was most likely both. She stood up quickly and looked back down to Jaime who had a rather disgruntled look upon his face. Robb stopped just outside of Jaime's cage and glared down at him vehemently. Jaime was the first the break the tense silence that had since then filled the air.

"Ah, Robb Stark it's good to see you. I see that you didn't bring your dire wolf along this time." Jaime said drawing a perturbed sigh from Robb. "He was a very nice addition to your visit last night."

Dimeria closed her eyes; at least she knew where Robb had been last night...apparently confronting the Kingslayer.

"Did you need something?" Dimeria asked Robb in an effort to diffuse the bad energy that was quickly brewing up like a thunderstorm.

Robb opened his mouth as if to speak, but warily glanced back down to Jaime, obviously not comfortable speaking in front of the Kingslayer. Jaime only smirked in response, noticing the hesitancy and looking to Dimeria to see what she would do.

"He is a prisoner, Robb. He will only find out what you are about to tell later on from the other guards." Dimeria snapped.

Robb sighed and clenched his fists at his sides before speaking. "There is a Lannister camp just outside of Oxcross. We attack them tonight."

Dimeria nodded, understanding that Robb was intending a surprise attack. She risked a glance down to Jaime who had resumed resting his head on the post in order to look nonchalant, while on the inside he was panicking and hoping for a way out of his imprisonment.

"What do you need me to do?" She asked Robb.

"Ready the Silent Sisters and the other handmaidens to tend to the wounded. We'll need as much help as we can get."

Dimeria nodded to Robb and made a move to follow him when he turned to walk away. He turned to face Dimeria just a few feet from Jaime's post, causing Jaime to strain his ears to hear their conversation.

"I appreciate that you're trying to help me get my sisters back by keeping him healthy, but you don't have to tend to him...not if you don't want to." Robb said tucking her hair behind her ear.

Dimeria closed her eyes and reveled in his touch. She wasn't sure if she was still angry with Robb, but she knew that it probably wouldn't last too much longer if she was; Dimeria cared for him too much.

"It's okay." She assured Robb as she covered his hand with her own. "It really isn't too horrible."

Robb gave her a sweet smile, one that he saved just for Dimeria and she knew it too. It reached his eyes and always managed to get Dimeria to smile back at him. He placed a kiss on her forehead and leaned back asking:

"Will you join me for dinner before we leave tonight?" He asked.

"Of course."

She watched Robb walk away, quietly scolding herself. She didn't understand why she allowed herself to dismiss such important things when it came to Robb, it blew her mind. Sighing loudly, she turned to go back to Jaime's post and gather her things. She was surprised he didn't say anything right away, for she knew that he had been watching, but he just kept silent and watched her. It was just when she was about to leave that he asked her a question.

"You really care for him, don't you?" He asked amusedly. He laughed and shook his head.

She also laughed, although it was a poor attempt and was mainly humorless. A sad look came in her eyes when she answered.

"Yes. I wish I didn't though."

…

The night was filled with a restless energy that night, the men were anxious for the upcoming battle. Dimeria was greeted by many of the soldiers as she made her way to Robb's tent for dinner. Whispers and and mumblings filled her ears more frequently than the buzzing of bugs and the chirpings of birds. Once she made it to the entrance of Robb's tent, she stopped just outside after hearing a heated conversation between him and his mother.

"Robb, I have not seen the boys for months now. Bran and Rickon need me."

"If Renly sides with us, we'll outnumber them 2 to 1. When they feels the jaws beginning to shut, they'll sue for peace. We'll get the girls back and then we'll all go home...we will all be together again soon, I promise."

Dimeria thought she felt her heart leap into her throat when she heard Robb speak. She knew Robb had been intending to send his mother to make negotiations with Renly Baratheon, but she didn't know it would affect her like this.

_then we'll all go home…_

Who did he mean by 'we?' Dimeria asked herself. The war didn't matter to her as much as it did to other people, but she wanted it to end just as well. She had never really thought about what she would do when she wasn't with Robb anymore, after all, he had promised to go south with her to help discover who her parents were, but after what he had just said, it didn't sound like he planned on having anything to do with Dimeria after the war was over. Hot tears sprung to her eyes and a tightness formed in her stomach that she could not release.

_You idiot!_ A voice screamed in her head...and the voice was right. She couldn't believe she had let herself believe Robb would actually be there for her; apparently Dimeria was just someone to cast aside when she was no longer relevant. Footsteps began coming towards her from the tent and she quickly fled the area. She didn't know where she was going, just that she couldn't let anyone see her like this, it showed weakness and vulnerability; she couldn't afford to be in that position. Before she knew it, Dimeria was crouching on the ground, needles in her lungs as she struggled for breath. Tears still stung her eyes and her throat felt as if it were on fire from the lack of oxygen.

"Are you alright, little warrior?"

Dimeria looked up to see a genuinely concerned Jamie Lannister peering at her in the darkness.

"I'm fine." She lied to him, trying desperately to catch her breath.

"You're a horrible liar, do you know that?" He asked.

She laughed cruelly and thought to herself…

_Robb Stark is a much better liar than I am._

_**Sorry I'm starting to make Dimeria hate her feelings towards Robb, but that's just the person she is :( I love Robb so I hate having to do that.**_

_**Some of you guys have been asking who Dimeria is going to end up with in the end (Jon, Jaime, or Robb) And...well, there's still so much I want to do with this story, so I decided that it's going to be a surprise! I really still haven't decided myself either, but I have an idea.**_

_**Remember to leave reviews, I loved getting more from you guys last time!**_

_**Until next time...**_


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